ALBUM REVIEW: WASHED OUT - MISTER MELLOW

WASHED OUT
MISTER MELLOW
Stones Throw Records.
Chillwave, Downtempo, Dream Pop, Electronic.
Listening Format: CD & Digital













Stones Throw Records was the shit in the 00s. It was known for having the most cutting edge, weird and forward thinking sounds in Hip Hop predominantly. Legendary artists such as J Dilla, Madlib and MF DOOM once thrived on the label. They even made a film about it back in 2013, the excellent Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton... And then after that, just as it felt like the label was about to enter a next level phase... Nothing much happened. I honestly have tried to keep up with Stones Throw since then, but haven't really heard anything that has grabbed me. Madlib is testing out his own label, dodgy posthumous J Dilla releases keep popping up (on other labels) and MF DOOM has moved over to LEX. On the other side of the crossroads, Washed Out was at the forefront of a "microgenre" (or non genre in my opinion) named Chillwave. The alias of Ernest Greene, Washed Out arrived on the scene in 2009. His big single 'Feel It All Around' was picked up as the theme song to Portlandia, and his debut album received a critical round of applause, which is where I first heard the term Chillwave. What is Chillwave? Well it's not really a genre at all. It's basically just a hodge podge of dreamy psychedelia, hazy reverbed vocals, and elements of funky Hip Hop as well as Downtempo Electronica. Basically imagine Air and Madlib making love in a cave...!?

Cut to 2017 and Washed Out's third full length album comes out on Stones Throw Records (his previous works were on Sub Pop). Alas we can all agree it sounds like a great fit. After all his breakout song that put him on the map, 'Feel It All Around' certainly exists in that Post-Dilla & Madlib kind of bubble, even if it sounded more at home with Indie Rock fans than Hip Hop heads. I guess the expectation for Washed Out joining Stones Throw is that he might be able to channel those Hip Hop influences even further, or perhaps make his most abstract and forward thinking album to date?

Well it certainly feels like Washed Out has tried to go for that Stones Throw sound. Yet he hasn't full immersed himself into it, as some of the tracks here feel a little too much of a retreat to what he has already accomplished before. When 'Burn Out Blues' kicks into life, that pumping bassline and laid back Hip Hop-esque beat feels majestic. Even when his washed out (ahem) unintelligible vocals kick in, it sounds pretty fresh. 'Floating By' is another track that seems to implement a more dense and abstract approach. Even though it is a fairly simple and dreamy song, it is the little details that shift and change on this track that elevate it. 'Hard to Say Goodbye' goes a little too funky and upbeat, as it has this Balearic Disco beat that feels so warm and nostalgic, like something Metronomy would pump out. 'Down & Out' honours Hip Hop more than any other track here, opening with the sounds of police sirens, and an eerie spoken word sample, as it leads into 'Instant Calm' which has a hard kick and snare combo.

In just 29 minutes (yes this album is only 1 minute longer than 'Reign In Blood') Washed Out packs in a vast amount of ideas and sounds. All the tracks flow into each other really well, switching up styles and tempos erratically, similar to how his sonic peer Bibio operates. Washed Out has pushed his skills in production and sound crafting further than ever. There are so many layers and intricate details all over this album. The way Washed Out makes a sound college of eerie backmasked samples segueing 'Hard to Say Goodbye' and 'Down & Out' is such a commanding and ear grabbing moment on the record. But the biggest problems lay in the words written on the spine. Because a lot of these songs suffer from being too washed out and too mellow! I say the songs are washed out because, whilst there are plenty of ideas sonically, in terms of actual songwriting a lot of these songs feel too short and under-developed. In fact the album flows more like a mixtape than an album. Most of the tracks feel more like snippets and ideas than full compositions. And even the songs that do feel complete just feel a little too soft and unmemorable. Other than the interesting mix and layering, nothing of the vocals or melodies really ever grab me. Though I can appreciate Washed Out has made a step forward and pushed his skills as a producer, I feel that his previous albums were ultimately better written, more cohesive and memorable. 'Mister Mellow' is very much style over substance. 6/10.

ALBUM REVIEW: CIRCLE - TERMINAL

CIRCLE
TERMINAL
Southern Lord.
Progressive Rock, Psychedelia, Krautrock.
Listening Format: Digital















Usually I like to research an artist before I review them, or I will already have a clear understanding of an artist's back catalogue beforehand, but I'm making an exception for Circle. I was recently recommended them with only the description of "Finnish madness", and it was enough to raise my intrigue. This new record also happens to be released on the highly reputable Southern Lord label, so I knew I had to give it a spin. It turns out that Circle have been going since the early 90s and have put out well over 20 albums on various obscure labels, all of varying styles and subgenres. So even if I wanted to research their back catalogue in preparation for this review, I wouldn't have time or even know where to start!

Upon diving into 'Terminal', I was grabbed by them immediately. They kick off with the longest track on the album that has a bit of a jam band feel to it. Circle burst into life with a fantastic opening riff, with a Garage Rock guitar feel. There is plenty of fuzz and distortion, delivering a crunchy guitar sound. Their vocalist soon kicks in, unleashing a truly animalistic roar that really took me off guard. But Circle are always mixing up their vocal styles, with strange operatic vocals emerging halfway through the song, sounding somewhere between Iron Maiden and Magma! There are also these strange whispering and chanting vocals that add a creepy feel reminiscent of Goblin's 'Suspiria' theme. The track as a whole has a very 70s feel to it, with plenty of guitar and keyboard noodling sections, but the proggy track is held together well with an eerie atmosphere and off kilter twists and turns. The title track is another huge standout, propelling the band into a much more minimalist and repetitive groove this time around. The Krautrock influences come through here, with a really catchy psyched out riff that sounds like Moon Duo. Following a complex, proggy opus with a simple riff rocker actually seems to pay off really well, giving some needed breathing space in the record, as well as getting those heads a bangin'! 'Imperiumi' is another huge highlight on the album where the bombast of the vocals really takes over. The operatic vocals are in full force, and the way they intertwine with the almost jazzy riffs is superb and will get stuck in your head. Such an unsubtle and fun song.

'Terminal' as a whole sounds perfectly nostalgic. I can hear so many sprinkles of great late 60s/early 70s Rock and Metal. There are little bits of Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, The Doors, The Stooges and Can all over this record. Circle's genius lays in providing truly belting and meaty riffs and grooves that can keep a listener nodding along for a whole track, and then using those solid riffs as a leaping point to add in wild and unpredictable crazy quirks along the way. In particular, the vocals on this album add so much wonder, mystery and even a bit of drama and humour here and there. Circle are clearly a highly competent band and even though their discography is vast, they play with so much passion and urgency throughout this record, which is really one of the things that impresses me most. Circle come across as a band that aren't short on ideas and are discovering new grounds, even this far into their journey! 8/10.

#335: RIFF CONSPIRACY III - MARS RED SKY + SUPPORT - LIVE IN MANCHESTER

  Manchester's Metal scene has taken over the city this year, and on this beautiful Sunday, instead of watching the finale of the Premier League, I found myself attending this all day behemoth of Metal Mayhem, at Rebellion. Manchester sure does love it's all day shows, and at £13 on the door (£10 for early birds), this was an absolute bargain that saw some of the most talented Metal bands from the UK perform with French Psychedelic Metallers Mars Red Sky headlining the show!

BAD EARTH

Opening today's mammoth Metal feast was Bad Earth, a quartet representing Denbigh, North Wales. They kicked off the show with a powerful sound and meaty riffs that sat perfectly between Hard Rock and Stoner Metal. The gravelly vocals of Steve Coxon also added a Grunge influence in there. The resulting sound had equal nods towards Kyuss and Clutch as it did to the classic Zepp and Sabbath sound. Bad Earth was a good way to ease in the show and matched the vibes of the pleasant sunny weather. They had a mixture of slow, Doomy paced songs, and a few faster tempo ones with a hard hitting bass sound. In particular Bad Earth had a tight drummer with a great snare sound and some cool fills, whilst the guitars would sometimes add in psychedelic touches and wah solos. Vocalist Steve really gave it welly and the whole band poured passion into their craft. This was especially evident in their set highlight "Tough Luck", which their frontman said was about a breakdown of a relationship. Though their sound is one I've heard many times, Bad Earth performed really well and hit the sweet spot, kicking off today's epic show on a high. 8/10.
______________________

SILVERCHILD

Following on nicely from openers Bad Earth, was Silverchild, a Hard Rock quartet from Stoke On Trent. The group had to come on earlier than scheduled after 1968 arrived late, but didn't let it phase them. Silverchild are fantastic entertainers who are known for their high energy shows and they certainly didn't disappoint today. They have expertly crafted a retro classic Rock sound, full of punchy and catchy Zeppelin influenced Bluesy riffs. Though Rebellion wasn't too well attended at this point, people started to gradually pour in to witness the storm that Silverchild were brewing. Songs such as "Black Cat" and "Red Desert" had a real stomp and swagger to them. In particular guitarist Vic Jepson is incredibly talented on her guitar, showing great restraint with her love for stop/start swaggering riffs. She also has the ability to rip into lengthy solos as the bassist and drummer jam away to her side. Silverchild's bassist and frontwoman are always moving about the stage and bring a constant unstoppable energy that always invited the crowd to get involved. Frontwoman Alex Hiley commands a special hold on the audience, Though her Bluesy wails and screeches aren't always pitch perfect, she delivers a huge passion and really loses herself in the music, which is really what matters. It's always good when a band plays a new song "The Dictator" and it turns out to be the best in their set. Though Silverchild aren't Metal per se, they are more than capable of mixing it up with the big heavy guns and they managed to bring a lot of fun and excitement to the show today. 8/10.
______________________

1968

Cheshire based rockers 1968 arrived a little late to Manchester today, but I think they can be excused considering their clock is running 48 years too slow! These recent signings to Conan's Black Bow Records label delivered slow swampy riffs with a raw power. Their vocalist Jimi Ray has a Grungey, gravelley wailing tone that reminded me a lot of Chris Cornell. 1968 ripped right into it and carried on the high pacing set by Silverchild before them. My favourite song of theirs this afternoon was "King's Ashes" which knocked me sideways with a massive riff that hit me like a sledgehammer to the gut! The band performed a new song towards the end of their set that was a calmer toned instrumental jam that saw their vocalist leave the stage. I think it was perhaps the wrong gig to be trying out a work in progress song as the energy fell a little flat. Thankfully once their frontman came back they rebuilt the energy with a heavy Blues sound reminiscent of "BadMotorFinger" era Soundgarden. They closed a fantastic set with a brilliant cover of Sabbath's immortal "Into the Void", making them 1971. This confirmed the Soundgarden influence for me, since Cornell and crew did a great similar sounding version of this song. Regardless, they knocked it out of the park and the crowd were singing and headbanging along. 8/10.
______________________

CORINTH

The show was already off to a fine start, but when Leeds Sludge merchants Corinth took the stage they noticeably took the heaviness up a gear! This quartet have just released a fantastic self-titled EP and are riding high off that momentum. They opened with a powerful escalating instrumental that gradually grew in weight, hitting us with thunderous riffs with so much bottom end. I completely lost my shit when they performed the leading track of their new EP, "Solar Blaze". This is one of their fastest tempo songs that opens with lightning harmonised guitars and a Thrashy backbone. Corinth absolutely delievered the brown (that's the local lingo) with their colossal barrage of slumberous sludge riffs and trade off growls from their bassist and guitarist. As heavy as they were though, their speciality for harmonised guitar parts added a real beauty and majestic scope to their sound. I always love it when Corinth visit Manchester and they are becoming serious contenders in the UK Metal scene. 9/10.
______________________

SHRYKULL

Nottingham based duo Shrykull were one of my favourite surprises of the day. They began their set with a disgustingly nasty Sludge onslaught, belted out with just drums and a downtuned 7 string guitar. Both guys would provide huge guttural throat shredding vocals that clawed at the walls, usually trading off against each other. It would have been cool if they had found more times where their vocals came together in unison, but it was still powerful stuff nonetheless. Their drummer Kez absolutely battered his kit and they delivered a bowel churningly heavy opening track. To the surprise of everyone in the Rebellion crowd, after a couple of supreme slow numbers, they completely switched it up with a 10 second long killer PowerViolence song, complete with schizoid blastbeats and hyperspeed barking vocals [NOTE: Manchester needs more PowerViolence!] From here on, Shrykull played at a much faster pace, adding in elements of Thrash and most notably some Black Metal influences. They left us on an incredible finale that summoned the raw Black Metal of Darkthrone. They sent us out with an incredibly raw and fast song full of icy cold tremolo riffs and Kez's primal shrieks. For just 2 band members, Shrykull delivered a surprisingly diverse set taking in different Extreme Metal subgenres. The duo had a distinct lack of finesse in their playing, with a few slip-ups and sloppy moments, but this actually gave them a real charm. They had some funny banter with the crowd and looked like they were really enjoying themselves. True DIY Metal mayhem! 8/10.
______________________

UNDER

Stockport's Under are a true breath of fresh air in the UK Metal scene that often leave even me lost for words! By now Rebellion had filled out nicely and the drinks were flowing. Under kicked straight into one of their trademark jagged and off centre riffs. They tease the audience with odd time signatures that can easily send headbangers in the crowd to slam their head at the wrong moment and make fools of themselves! Their unpredictability and sinister playfulness always takes me off guard. One of Under's great trademarks is the way the unholy trinity will all perform harmonised vocals, as if the Beach Boys were trying to cover Swans! Matt Franklin has a wonderful scream to him and abstract lyricism, yet they can just switch into these lovely singing harmonies at any moment. Under premiered a short new song "Soup" that was actually surprisingly "normal" for them, with a bit of a Melvins-esque vibe. They left us with an epic one two punch of "Suicide By Cop", with the completely deranged chant of "Guns at the finish line" that sends shivers down my spine. They finished on a slightly lighter note with another new song that focused even deeper on harmonies, sounding like The Beatles' "White Album" had been dragged through mud and then played at the wrong speed. Their chant of "Hell is as good a place as anywhere" rang memorably across the Manchester crowd. I've said it before and I'll say it again, but this review is almost meaningless. Under are such an interesting and unique band that words practically fail to describe them accurately, so you simply MUST SEE THEM as soon as possible and have your mind blown away. They always deliver this creepy circus acid trip sound that leaves me feeling like I have been buried alive, with my slowly rotting flesh crawling with beetles and cockroaches as the evil Gnome lords etch out my name on the tombstone whilst I slowly drown in dirt! 9/10.
______________________

OLD MAN LIZARD

Under are not an easy act to follow, but Old Man Lizard rose to the occassion, kicking straight in with a ballsy sound and frantic energy. This Suffolk trio delivered intriguing psyched out Stoner Metal with eerie chords and scatty off kilter rhythms. They managed to deliver a lot of groove and Stoner Metal aesthetics, but have a fun way of mixing it up by chucking in odd chords and jagged riffs to throw the audience off. One of their best tracks of the night began softly with a sweet swaying melody of clean guitars. This lengthy beast gradually grew in density and dynamics, slowly evolving into headbanging gold. But it was their final song "Sea of Witches" that really blew me away. To put it vaguely, it had one of THOSE riffs. You know the kind of belting riff that sounded like it had been hand-crafted by Lord Satan himself, and the infernal one doesn't just hand those riffs out to anyone! "Sea of Witches" was indeed one of the very best moments of the entire day and it was probably the one that caused me to pull a muscle in my neck! 8/10.
______________________

SPACE WITCH

It's been a while since I've seen Space Witch live, but speaking to their vocalist and Electronic wizard Peter Callaghan, they've been keeping a low profile over the past year in order to record their forthcoming new album. Judging by what I saw tonight, this promises to be very exciting indeed. If I'm not mistaken, today was the first time I have seen them perform live vocals, beginning their set with eerie droning dissonance and haunting chanted wails. They soon kicked into a mental slow as fuck riff. The chanting bellow vocals gave a cavernous feel to their sound. One of Space Witch's signatures is their use of electronics (if you know me I am a big fan of Metal bands that merge electronics into their sound). Vocalist Peter has the ominous "drone box" by his side, with an array of pedals and a beautiful analogue synthesiser. In place of traditional vocals, he delivers piercing runs of Carpenter-esque spooky synths that add new dimensions to their sound. Behind this is an assault of some of the most crushing Neurosis-esque riffage that leaves you feeling pulverised into the ground. Space Witch were easily the heaviest band of the day, with their techy droning riffs punching away with mountains of bottom end sublevel bass, which definitely culminated in my splitting headache! When Space Witch performed I got so lost in their utter chaos that I actually forgot I was supposed to be reviewing their show. I probably drooled all over the floor as I couldn't take my eyes away from the sheer magnitude of what I was seeing! Space Witch are simply another one of those bands where I cannot find the right words to truly convey just how special and utterly brilliant they are. But if you are looking for one of the truest and heaviest bands in Britain today, this is it! Mind... Broken... 10/10.
______________________

BOSS KELOID

If you have followed Frenchie's Reviews regularly or you are one of Manchester's Metal regulars, you'll know that I've already covered Boss Keloid many times now. But I promise I am not writing with bias! These guys really are just that good! Tonight Boss Keloid channelled the mentality of Leicester City, because this whole year they have been on an unstoppable high, with the release of their sophomore album "Herb Your Enthusiasm" gaining overwhelmingly positive reviews across the entire Metal media. After a hilarious warm up jam of Cypress Hill's "Ain't Going Out Like That" (complete with Alex Hurst's fine rapping vocals), Boss Keloid kicked into their highly anticipated set that saw every Metalhead in the building drop what they were doing for 30 blissful minutes. The Kellogs Factory noticeably mixed up their set today, opening with the song that usually closes their shows, "Axis of Green". This song is a rugged Metal banger full of jagged Tech riffs that recall Meshuggah. Alex's powerful and versatile "captain caveman" vocals sing of mountains with throat juggling that paints colours across their sound. Switching up their setlist payed dividends tonight, that noticeably allowed the band to deliver what I think was their highest energy set yet. In particular bassist Adam Swarbrick played all over the stage and had a massive presence, delivering crushing low end boulders of Sludge. The crowd helped the band harness that energy because the atmosphere inside Rebellion was absolutely electric. This was the only band on the bill that had a big chunk of the crowd mouthing along every lyric from every song, showing just how much "Herb Your Enthusiasm" has touched the Metal community. Their knockout anthem "Lung Mountain" delivered new realms of heaviness, with Paul "Uncle Crow" Swarbrick's winding guitar arpeggios blowing minds. Boss Keloid finished on their very first performance of the album's epic closing song "Hot Priest", beginning with wonderful jazzy drums from Ste Arands. This beautiful song added new found textures, recalling the spacey textures of Isis (no, not THAT Isis, GOD! What do you take me for!?). Guitarist Paul Swarbrick requested that I give them a 5/10 review for this show... But I just can't bring myself to do it! In fact I have to say that this was their very best performance to date and I think the band felt it too! Boss Keloid and the Rebellion stage are truly a match made in heaven! 10/10 mate!
______________________

MARS RED SKY

Today's very special headliners were French Psychedelic Metallers Mars Red Sky! They may have took a long time to set up, but after Boss Keloid's triumphant set, we all needed some time to recover! Interestingly the band used a projector screen to create backing visuals (which I've never seen at Rebellion before, but unfortunately the lights were too bright so it didn't quite work). The Mars Red Sky trio opened with soft chanting vocals before launching into psyched out swampy riffage. All 3 band members perform lovely vocal harmonies that add a real touch of beauty and wonder to their music. This contrasted well with the elephantine riffs that this band were producing. Perhaps it was because I had a headache that could slay a walrus, but it sounded to me like someone had turned the fuzzy bass amp all the way up to 11, because every bass hit was seriously loud. I could feel the entire floor rumbling as the bass grooves pulsed through my body. In some ways this added to the trippiness of their sound. Mars Red Sky's songs envelop incredibly slowly and it takes some patience to see each song through to the end. Their songs are incredibly slow and teasingly build at a glacial pace. They do add in some psychedelic noodling and spacey ambience to help flesh out the mood of their songs. New song "Mindreader" was a true display of colossal heaviness, but it was one of their other new songs that I loved most, which had this sweet gentle sweeping melody and more of an Indie Rock kind of vibe. Mars Red Sky received an incredible response from the Rebellion crowd, and as thoroughly impressive as they were, at times it was almost too much for me to take! 8/10.
______________________

ELEPHANT TREE

Elephant Tree are usually a Stoner Metal quartet from London, however one of their guitarists was unable to make the tour. I wouldn't have noticed either way though, because the trio played a knockout show. It was noticeable that Mars Red Sky's ridiculous bass heavy sound crept into their set, with so much low end that it threatened to dominate EVERYTHING! Elephant Tree's guitarist had a wail to his vocals that had a bit of a Layne Staley vibe that I really enjoyed. With every song they played they seemed to get heavier and heavier 'til it felt like my brain was going to shatter into pieces! Like a few bands ahead of them today, Elephant Tree's bassist and guitarist performed sweet harmonised vocals. I'm definitely enjoying the use of vocal harmonies in Metal these days! The band had some really funny banter with the crowd and truly slayed the Rebellion stage tonight. I definitely know where their strange name comes from now as their riffs were so heavy, it made me picture Elephants stepping on fallen trees and crushing them into the mud! They ended their set with a mighty cover of "Wild Thing" that usherd in the inevitable Rebellion stage invasion as most of the crowd joined them on stage! 9/10.
______________________

SILVERCHILD - ENCORE

...Just when you thought it was over, promoter and Noiz puppet master Eytan organised for rockers Silverchild to play an impromptu closing set by popular demand from the crowd! This was one of those beautiful touches of magic that Eytan so often pulls out of the bag at his shows. Despite admittedly being really drunk, Silverchild humbly agreed to play to us once more, with an even bigger crowd than when they played earlier in the afternoon. They certainly gave it welly! Somehow they raised the energy even higher than their first show and the atmosphere in the room could not be contained. It only took one song before practically the entire Rebellion crowd bum rushed the stage and got up there with them. Huge props to Silverchild because I don't know how they managed to play so well with about 20 or more people all drunkenly rocking out around them. Even I was invited on stage myself and the view from the Rebellion stage is truly something wonderful! I'm just amazed they could even get through their whole set, but they did it with true grace and style. Silverchild really are one of the most fun live acts that have ever graced the Rebellion stage and I am so glad they got this opportunity to close the show. In an emotional finale, vocalist Alex Hiley shouted that it was the best day of her life, and for everyone who was there in that moment, life looked pretty damn awesome! 10/10.
______________________

...And so closes another legendary chapter of Manchester's bludgeoning Metal scene, proving that this is THE city for live music! A huge thank you to Eytan and the Noiz crew. Their vision is taking constructing gigs into an art form in itself. The sound crew did a fantastic job at molesting my ears and the Rebellion staff are absolute troopers! I think this lineup and the quality of the bands has been the best that Rebellion has seen yet, and that is no easy task! Well done everyone!

______________________

May 15th 2016 @ Rebellion Manchester

#333: Corinth - Corinth

2016
Sludge Metal, Psychedelic Rock
Self-Released

Corinth are a Sludge Metal band with some Progressive tendancies. Since 2013, the quartet have already put out 2 fantastic EPs, with this self titled effort being their 3rd. Though their sound certainly contains some Sludge Riffs and Hardcore vocals, Corinth have proven themselves to think further afield, adding varying tempos and reaching out to different subgenres of Metal to take influence, making for an eclectic and varying sound.

One of the Corinth's most notable trademarks is their superb ear for harmonised guitar leads, provided by the guitars of Ben and Vanessa. Right from the opening of "Solar Blaze" the harmonised tapping guitars are in full effect in what may be their fastest track yet. This EP opener kicks in with a fast and furious Thrash pace, occassionally submitting into groove laden mid-tempo riffs. This is a seriously fun and impressive opening track.

Things take a much darker and slower turn on second track "Those With No Eyes". Instead of the warm harmonies, here the guitars create a much more sinister mood, playing with discordance. It's almost as if the friendly harmonised guitars had a falling out and are now playing against each other! This track is also splendid, offering ferocious doses of meaty Sludge and psyched out vocals. Certainly a bad trip into Surreal Horror film atmospheres!

The EP closes with an epic behemoth just shy of 10 minutes, "Ironclad". The track builds and builds with a swampy bass and guitar sound, and vocals that escalate from trippy to full on roaring. The "return to the sea" motif delivers a hypnotic grip on the listener as the the psychedelic guitars cycle over, weaving in and out of the stereo mix.

Though I thoroughly enjoyed their 2 previous EPs, I think this 3rd one is their best yet. Corinth continue to find diverse influences to add to their sound, and in particular the switch between the fast Thrashy opener, and the slower tracks after works really well. This EP just grabs you from the start and will have you wanting to hit play again by its conclusion. Corinth also sound at their best, with a fantastic sound mix throughout. I think the Leeds quartet are ready to deliver their first full length now! 8/10.

#330: PELICAN + PIJN & MUGSTAR - LIVE IN MANCHESTER

PELICAN

MUGSTAR

PIJN

_____________

PIJN

A bit of a congratulations is in order for Pijn (is that pronounced like pigeon?), as it turns out this opening slot for Pelican was only their second ever show! I never would have guessed it from how confidently they performed. This Manchester based trio suitably play (mostly) instrumental techy Post-Metal with Post Rock elements.

In true Post Rock style, their set began softly, dominated by clean textured guitars and interesting, eerie chords. Whilst the band were no strangers to using guitar hum and feedback, their performance wasn't overly heavy or noisy, allowing for a nice contrast between soft and loud tones. Pijn's use of complex time signatures and chords really struck out as their trademark. In particular their drummer (who was physically centre stage) was the most interesting to watch, providing a bundle of energy. On one song he even switched to playing keyboards during a calmer passage of their music, and spoken word samples were also implemented.

When it came to their final song, Pijn turned into a very different beast. Their music drastically grew in intensity and heaviness, drawing closer to the Post-Metal sound of headliners Pelican. The drums became much faster and choppier, with cymbal battering and varied fills fleshing out the songs. Their guitarist really lost himself towards the end of the show, headbanging away and even adding screaming vocals over the ferocious chugging Sludge riffs. With vocals being used so sparingly in their set, I don't think they were even necessary. If Pelican can do instrumental Metal with great conviction, then so can Pijn. Regardless, this was a very impressive finale that left a lasting impression in my head.

Looking back on their performance, it makes sense that Pijn are newcomers to the local music scene. They tried out a lot of different ideas, beginning the show calmly with a lack of punch, and then later going all out Metal. Pijn still sound like a band who are trying to find their sound and their unique stamp, but regardless, they coped extremely well with being thrown in the deep end, even covering well during a guitar malfunction. Pijn seem like they are exactly where they should be, and hopefully they will just get better and better. 7/10.

_____________

MUGSTAR

Mugstar are a Heavy Psyche trio from Liverpool and rumour has it that they have been shortlisted for Mogwai's Rock Action label. Aurally and numerically, this trio sat perfectly between the sounds of Moon Duo and Wooden Shjips. They performed very loud, noisy and repetitive psyched out grooves, making them less suited to the bill than openers Pijn were. 

They kicked in with chuggy Stoner grooves, with one repetitive riff cycling over. The two guitarists were often performing fast tremolo style to achieve a dense fuzzy sound. Unfortunately I found throughout the set that there was so much fuzz and feedback that almost everything else in their sound was completely drowned out. At first I thought it could have been a sound mix issue, but the other two bands did not suffer from any major problems. Frequently their guitarist would also add vocals, but because there was so much reverb on the mic it left the vocals practically inaudible during their set, taking something away from their sound. Their energetic drummer added some excitement to the mix, but with their music being so repetitive, more fills and surprises would definitely have benefited. One song did add in keyboards, giving much need depth and texture to the sound, but I didn't hear the keys again after that one song, making me wonder why they don't use a permanent keyboardist. Mugstar ended on a finale that sounded like an instrumental version of "Goo" era Sonic Youth, but they still felt hindered by a lack of varying ideas. 

Unfortunately hearing these pitfalls in sound across their entire set lead to a pretty boring live experience, but it was more than just sound problems hindering Mugstar tonight. Having enjoyed seeing the aforementioned bands such as Wooden Shjips in concert, it felt like Mugstar were pulling too far into one direction and not enough in the other. Too much constant feedback and reverb gave the trio a very wishy washy sound that just felt like it was causing a wall between the crowd and the band, like trying to watch a film through a cloud of thick smog! With songs built on a lot of repetition, it was quite boring, tedious and self indulgent listening to such a one-sided affair. Mugstar forgot to perform with any feeling or excitement, and the end result felt like I was watching a band having a long jam in their rehearsal room, not playing a show to a paying crowd. Considering I enjoy this kind of Psychedelic Rock, Mugstar's performance gave me absolutely no joy tonight. 4/10.

_____________

PELICAN

The Chicago based instrumental Post-Metallers took me on a bit of a nostalgia trip tonight, to a time 10 years ago when I would blast out their first three releases "Pelican", "Australasia" and "The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw" religiously during my college days. Back then their sound was so fresh, with only Neurosis, Cult of Luna and Isis really above them in this subgenre. 10 years later, other bands such as Bossk, Russian Circles and Amenra have caught up and evolved that sound. Could Pelican still recapture the excitement that blew me away 10 years ago?

Immediately from the first song I was hit with a big grin on my face. After a wall of escalating feedback and drone, Pelican cut abruptly into a mid tempo chugging frenzy. They began their set with a couple of their faster tempo tracks, dominated by spellbounding palm muted riffs. Straight away I was struck by how colossal their sound was. I could feel every rumble of the bass travelling through the floor and up my body, whilst the guitars sounded so smooth and chunky.

As the show went on they slowed the overall tempos down a peg, showcasing some of their darker, Doomier pieces. One of Pelican's trademarks is their complex song structures that add shifting dynamics to their metallic symphonies, drifting like tectonic plates. Unlike Post Rock's tendencies to start softly and build to heavy crescendos, Pelican are able to begin heavy and momentous, and somehow take you on a journey through complex time signatures and song structures that always throw in little surprises. With their lineup largely unchanged since their formation, their chemistry on stage is flawless, delivering mindboggling music with ease and comfort. When you hear Pelican, you don't at all feel like they are missing anything in their sound by not using vocals. Instead the harmonious and melodic guitars speak for themselves, adding pinches of noise and natural harmonics regularly to throw in new dashes of colour. But aside from that, Pelican know best how to hit you with earth shattering riffs. Their use of unusual chords make their riffs very special indeed, drifting that fine line between something that can make you bang your head, as well as make your heart flutter.

The only real negative in their performance tonight was that they mainly stuck to newer material. The teenager in me was screaming for early classics such as "NightEndDay", "March Into the Sea" and their iconic "Drought", which would have have seen the whole crowd lose their shit! With their "Australasia" album recently being re-praised by Fact Magazine, it was a shame that their classic, groundbreaking material was largely ignored by the band, teasing us with only it's 3 minute interlude track "GW" in the encore. The finale of "Mammoth" was lovely, but the newer material shows this band have grown up a lot since their inception. Fortunately their newer material was enough to carry a very exciting performance. 8/10.

_____________

May 3rd 2016 @ Gorilla, Manchester. Additional photos by Mel Hamilton.

#328: ANIMAL COLLECTIVE - LIVE IN MANCHESTER

First up, apologies to support act GFOTY, because I didn't get to see you. There seemed to be quite a few people having ticket troubles on the door, but that's another story. So go check out GFOTY on the Facebook. 

Animal Collective were originally due to perform at Manchester Academy 2, but because of great ticket sales, it got bumped up to the larger capacity 02 Ritz, which then ended up selling out, so a good move on the promoters part. Considering their latest album "Painting With..." received very divisive and lukewarm reviews, the fact that this concert has sold out is surely a great testament to the amazing legacy and body of music that Animal Collective have created. This doesn't even count all their solo works!

Before they even took the stage, you could firmly tell that you were in the domain of Animal Collective, with the colourful and elaborate set that graced the Ritz stage. There were giant male and female statues, and lots of trippy, colourful lighting and a kaleidoscopic video backdrop to ease the audience into the acid trip they were about to take! With Deakin sadly absent, Panda Bear, Geologist and Avey Tare took the stage to huge applause. Geologist wore his trademark forehead strapped flashlight. Last time I saw them play, Panda Bear played the drums, but this time they got a helping hand from touring drummer Jeremy Hyman. The core trio had an array of synthesisers and pedals in front of them.

As is tradition when Animal Collective tour, they usually like to stick to the album they have just released. When I saw them at Warehouse Project in 2012, they played their previous "Centipede Hz" album in full (incidentally one of the most criminally under-appreciated albums of the decade so far) so I expected to hear the majority of "Painting With..." live. Though the album has received less than favourable reviews, I really enjoyed it, showing the band tackle a more Pop-oriented direction (or at least their version of Pop), but hearing them perform the tracks live only made my appreciation of "Painting With..." increase. Being such an experimental band, it feels like the songs have evolved since their studio incarnations. The group kept the core dynamics of the songs, put explored different effects and synth sounds. Tonally, the spectrum of their sounds were stretched much further, and combined with the psychedelic lighting and videos, it lead to an extremely trippy and hypnotic experience. They also jammed out quite a lot of the songs, and this is where the drummer really shined, stringing together erratic time signatures and bridging together songs without breaks. Whilst the AnCo trio felt a little bit static on stage, barely moving from their spots, the drummer helped to add the momentum and liveliness to the performance.

Though Animal Collective weren't as physically energetic and crazy as when I last saw them rock out The Warehouse Project, what really shined this evening was the incredible vocal harmonies of Avey Tare and Panda Bear. The two work each other so perfectly, often switching between double harmonies and call/response vocals. New songs "Lying On the Grass" and "Summing the Wretch" delivered sublime vocal trade offs. When they played "Daily Routine", one of their greatest songs from 2009's breakthrough album "Merriweather Post Pavilion", the crowd went nuts, and Panda Bear really went crazy on the mic, carrying his voice to every corner of the Ritz. Another huge highlight was their performance of "Floridada" just before the encore. Some people love this song, some said it was the worst they've ever written, but from where I was standing, almost everyone was bouncing up and down and going wild!

Unfortunately after the huge energy of "Floridada", Animal Collective went off stage and came back for an encore. Usually an encore is the most exciting part of a concert where a band bring out the best songs, but this was a rather muted affair where the energy went down and they noodled into wishy washy trippiness for a little too long. Considering the last time I saw them they closed their show with a knockout punch of "My Girls", "Brothersport" and "Peacebone", my expectations were very high, and sadly I ended up leaving the show rather disappointed. My advice for anyone thinking of seeing Animal Collective live is that, yes they will put on a great show with sounds ahead of any of their peers, but absolutely make sure you like their latest album, because you are probably going to hear the whole thing and not a lot else. For a band that have such a rich body of colourful, eclectic and mindblowing music, it seems sad that Animal Collective can so easily turn their back on that legacy. I heard a lot of people after the show groaning that they didn't hear any of their favourite "MPP" or "Strawberry Jam" songs, and to be fair to them they have a right to be upset. Regardless Animal Collective deliver one of the most unique and forward thinking sounds out there, and as the sold out crowd can testify, AnCo is an experience that just cannot be missed! 8/10.

April 13th 2016 at 02 Ritz, Manchester. Photography by Mel Hamilton.

#316: GNOD - MIRROR

2016
Noise Rock, Drone, Psychedelia
Rocket Recordings

Fellow Salfordians GNOD are an experimental collective who are a sort of mysterious cult act becoming more popular across Manchester. They have already put out many releases, from Krautrock and Psychedelic Rock inspired LPs, to Noise and Drone cassette only experiments. "Mirror" has been released by Rocket Recordings on CD and Vinyl and is more of a canon album from the group, who recorded it at Islington Mill in Salford.

I picked up the CD of "Mirror" that is presented in a blank shiny reflective silver sleeve. My first impression of this album is that it is seriously some heavy shit! Though it is one of those albums that builds in weight and intensity as it goes on. The opening title track is the most relatively tuneful one here. It hangs on a Jah Wobble inspired bassline that repeats throughout the 8 minute duration. It moves quite slowly, but a splattering of scatty psyched out guitar keeps things interesting. The vocals are very interesting, with these washed out demented screams, with lyrics only half decipherable through the reverb. A minimalist dirge that definitely reminds me of early PIL.

After this, things take a tumble down a rabbit hole of gloom, misery and insanity! "Learn to Forgive" is practically Drone Metal, with a filthy fuzz bassline and noisy guitars that scream in agony. The vocalist sounds like Mark E Smith if he had been impaled on a spike and was slowly bleeding to death. Though it is based on the same chords throughout its 8 and a half minutes, the song just builds and builds in density and by the end it becomes so intense and noisy, but in a beautiful way. This track makes me feel like I am being slowly boiled in a giant pan. The use of what sounds like an air raid siren in the background is subtly effective. GNOD sound like they are channelling acts such as Boris, Jesu and Swans here, and the Industrial despair of the derelict ruined buildings on nearby Salford Crescent is captured perfectly. Third track "Sodom & Gomorrah" expands these nightmarish feelings even further. Weighing in at 18 minutes, this song is even slower and heavier. A clanging bassline of Doom will destroy your eardrums. Realising that they can't get away with a repetitive bass hook for too long, this song tends to drift in an out of quieter dark ambient parts. The jangling percussion and ghostly wailing voices give an occult and ritualistic kind of feel, and it is one of my favourite parts of the record, showing a whole other kind of intensity. The fourth and final track is somewhat of an anti-climax. This remix of the opening track by Raikes Parade doesn't really feel necessary and could be considered a bonus track. It isn't really that much different from the track the opened the album. The bass is more pronounced here and there is much more reverb added to the mix. This version of the track kind of reminds me of 90s Ambient Dub Industrialists Scorn.

If you have ever lived in Salford, or a city full of council houses, high rise flats and industrial factories, you will find a kindred spirit with "Mirror". I think it perfectly captures the feel of walking through Salford on a rainy night. The red bricks and the grey skies. But aside from that, GNOD have made a colossal droning album that will give you nightmares. It is very serious, heavy and laced with anarchic lyrics and menacing thoughts. "Mirror" exists somewhere inbetween the Krautrock of Can, the Drone experiments of This Heat and the full on crushing Doom misery of bands like Man Is the Bastard and Conan. The whole album feels like it has been buried in dirt and sewage, and I can see this appealing to fans of Psychedelic Rock, Hardcore Punk and Extreme Metal! Though minimalist and repetitive, "Mirror" speaks many languages. 8/10.