Decibel – August 2010 – All The Nines

I’ve just been going through this month’s copy of Decibel, my last one through the mail, as my subscription has just run out and I will probably just pick it up from a local newsstand. Here’s a run down of this months new albums that score 9 or more in the review section:

• Decrepit Birth – Polarity [Nuclear Blast]
• Coliseum – House With A Curse [Temporary Residence]
• Danzig – Deth Red Sabaoth [Evilive/The End]
• Fistula – Goat [Crucial Blast] – http://open.spotify.com/album/0ajv8XGXN5g3e0mqAPDaUg
• Khoma – A Final Storm [Selective Notes/Razzia] – http://open.spotify.com/album/44ynXO8PH6WvIxwoRMlZX8
• Thou – Summit [Gilead Media]

Sadly only a couple of these have turned up on Spotify, so far. I’ve just been checking out Kohma’s, A Final Storm, which is excellent.

Guilfest 2010 – Rocksound Rock Cave

I have just been chatting to my parents this morning, over in the UK. It seems they are having the same good weather that we are over here in Nova Scotia.

Hopefully, the good weather will continue in the UK to give a sunny weekend for the upcoming Guilfest at Stoke Park, Guilford. What started out as the, one day, Guildford Festival of Folk and Blues, in 1992 has grown to a much larger event over 3 days (16-18th July). Considered to be a ‘family friendly’ style festival this years 3 headliners are: Orbital, The Human League and Status Quo.

Of particular interest to me would be the Rocksound Rock Cave stage with F***ed Up and We Are The Ocean playing at the top of the bill on Friday night. Check out the other bands on the bill at www.guilfest.co.uk.

Bim – Stay In Memory

Time for a bit of….Bim

Some more…perhaps?

Check them out at – http://www.bimmusic.com/

Or, download Head Over Heels for free, here – http://www.bimmusic.com/freedownload

Bim’s debut album, Scatterheart, can be heard on their website, and there are other tracks of theirs on Spotify – http://open.spotify.com/album/0TogCtOtsnsTnlJJD0G5Gu

Sarah McLachlan – Laws Of Illusion

It’s good to see that local gal, Sarah McLachlan has a new long player out. The recently released (on the 15th June 2011) Laws Of Illusion is her 7th studio album:

• 1988 – Touch
• 1991 – Solace
• 1993 – Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
• 1997 – Surfacing
• 2003 – Afterglow
• 2006 – Wintersong
• 2010 – Laws of Illusion

It’s on Spotify, so if you have it, you can check it out at – http://open.spotify.com/album/0eeRKrhPyIAOxK2zemQiWd

Track Listing:

1. Awakenings
2. Illusions of Bliss
3. Loving You Is Easy
4. Changes
5. Forgiveness
6. Rivers of Love
7. Love Come
8. Out of Tune
9. Heartbreak
10. Don’t Give Up on U
11. U Want Me 2
12. Bring on the Wonder
13. Love Come" (Piano Version)
    

Reviewed at:

• Allmusic – http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ajfrxzysldae
• Rolling Stone – http://www.rollingstone.com/music/reviews/album/17385/116892
• SputnikMusic – http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?albumid=57229
• Slant – http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/sarah-mclachlan-laws-of-illusion/2154
• Entertainment Weekly – http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20392189,00.html
• Los Angeles Times – http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/06/album-review-sarah-mclachlans-laws-of-illusion.html
• Boston Globe – http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/06/album-review-sarah-mclachlans-laws-of-illusion.html
• New York Times – http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/arts/music/14choice.html?_r=1

Genre(s):

• Pop
• Adult Contemporary

Similar Artists:

• Tara MacLean
• Jann Arden
• Jewel
• Natalie Merchant
• Chantal Kreviazuk
• Paula Cole
• Heather Nova
• Sheryl Crow
• Indigo Girls
• Shawn Colvin

Further Information:

Website – http://www.sarahmclachlan.com

MySpace – http://www.myspace.com/sarahmclachlan

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/sarahmclachlan

Twitter – http://twitter.com/sarahmclachlan

Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_McLachlan

Iron Maiden: Flight 666

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I have been getting ready for a return to employment after a number of years working for myself and also have been away on a business trip to Washington, DC.

While I was in DC, I picked up the Iron Maiden video, Iron maiden: Flight 666. A tour documentary I have been meaning to pick up for a while now, especially since Sam Dunn was involved in its making.

The film follows the band on the first leg of their Somewhere Back in Time World Tour between February and March 2008. It was refreshing to see a band documentary where members were not; getting drunk, goofing around, fighting, throwing hissy fits, crying or slagging off other bands/band members.

If you have not checked it out already, I recommend you do so.

Here is a clip from YouTube.

While we are on the subject of Sam Dunn, don’t forget to check out his Rush documentary, Beyond the Lighted Stage.

My Top Ten Favourite Debut Albums

Here is my current list of top 10 favourite albums, but, as I listen to so much music, this could change in the next….hour…minute.

• The Alarm – Declaration
• Angel Witch – Angel Witch
• Armoury Show – Waiting For The Floods
• Billy Talent – Billy Talent
• Delphic – Acolyte
• Enter Shikari – Take To The Skies
• Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden
• Marillion – Script For A Jesters Tear
• The Sisters Of Mercy – First And Last And Always
• Suede – Suede

Lets have some METTTTAAAAALLLLLLLLL!

I cant think of anything to blog about at the moment, so, let’s have  a bit of the heavy stuff!

Lamb Of God – Set To Fail

 

Machine Head – Descend The Shades Of Night

 

Slayer – Reign In Blood

 

Judas Priest – Painkiller

 

Dream Evil – The Book Of Heavy Metal

RetroBlog: Rockschool 1983

 

Way back in 1983 the BBC aired a series, Rockschool, which taught the basics of performing rock music and its various genres. It featured Geoff Nicholls on drums, Henry Thomas on Bass and Dierdre Cartwright (above) on lead guitar, along with interviews with leading musicians from the various genres covered.

There were nine episodes in the first series:

1. Introduction
2. Tuning
3. Technique
4. R&B and Blues
5. Heavy Metal
6. Funk
7. Reggae
8. Future
9. Special (Questions and Answers)

The BBC went on to produce a second series, which aired a few years later, and added a keyboard player (Alastair Gavin, I think). But it is the first series for which I had fondest memories.

If you want to check out the series a user on YouTube has uploaded the whole thing. http://www.youtube.com/user/joeeyeless

You may find that the first section of the episode on Heavy Metal is blocked. I think it’s the bit that has a clip of Motörhead. Well they did say that if they moved in next door your lawn would die!

Civil Civic – 1

Civil Civic have a new single out in July, check out the release here http://shop.civilcivic.com/. In the meantime you could do a lot worse than check out their debut EP, the economically titled “1”.

Track listing:

• Less Unless
• Baghdad Break
• C27
• E8-4AH
• Stacks ON

The EP can be checked out on Spotify – http://open.spotify.com/album/4AsMofBSF82KTbDoS4tuCW

Genre(s):

• Electronic
• Experimental
• Instrumental
• Indie Rock

 

Similar artists:

• Sunday Girl
• Eric Hlljes
• Foster the People
• Florrie
• The Selfish Replicators
• Young Empires

 

Further information:

@CivilCivic.blogspot.com – http://civilcivic.blogspot.com/

@Myspace – http://www.myspace.com/civilcivic

@Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/civilcivic

@Twitter – http://twitter.com/civilcivic

Nevermore – The Obsidian Conspiracy

I’ve just been checking out the new album, The Obsidian Conspiracy, by Nevermore. If you are not familiar with Nevermore then they are well worth checking out, particularly if you like your extreme music progressive. The band don’t really fit into any particular genre of extreme music as, to me, they sound totally trans-genre. My, oh my, can this band play!

Track listing:

1. The Termination Proclamation
2. Your Poison Throne
3. Moonrise (Through Mirrors of Death)
4. And the Maiden Spoke
5. Emptiness Unobstructed
6. The Blue Marble and the New Soul
7. Without Morals
8. The Day You Built the Wall
9. She Comes in Colors
10. The Obsidian Conspiracy

Listen at Spotify – http://open.spotify.com/album/7j7tAsWboyxgxEXzaFC41p

Let’s check a bit of Jeff getting all shreadtastic at Musikmesse Frankfurt 2010. Cool!

 

 

Reviewed at:

AngryMetalGuy – http://www.angrymetalguy.com/nevermore-the-obsidian-conspiracy-review/

Sputnik Music – http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?albumid=53432

Bloody Disgusting – http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/music/723

The New Review – http://thenewreview.net/reviews/nevermore-the-obsidian-conspiracy

Danger Dog – http://www.dangerdog.com/2010-music-reviews/nevermore-the-obsidian-conspiracy-review.php

 

Genre(s):

• Progressive Metal
• Heavy Metal
• Trans-genre

 

Similar artists:

• None!

 

Further info:

@MySpace – http://www.myspace.com/nevermorefans

@Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nevermore-band/34097738619?ref=ts

@Twitter – http://twitter.com/nevermoreband

@Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevermore

@JeffLoomis.com – http://www.jeffloomis.com/