4th April 2010

Audio with 20 plays with 1 note

Leatherface - God is Dead
The Stormy Petrel (No Idea)

This was my first exposure to the British punk group Leatherface, so I’ll not be able to compare The Stormy Petrel to any of their previous work.  Having said that, here are some of my initial impressions on listening to this record.

First, the gravelly vocals remind me at times of Killing Joke, US Maple, and Motorhead.  The lyrics themselves are mostly things I can get behind (Nietzsche!), and it’s all pretty sing-a-long-able.  This is some hard-rockin’ punk stuff, and punk rock, at it’s core, is anthemic.  This fits right in that pocket.  From start to finish, the record kicks ass non-stop, and appeals to the same well-meaning middle-finger attitude that the pop-punk I grew up on relied on.  And since most of those bands are making shit music right now (and, probably, were making shit music to begin with), I’m glad to hear this record.  It’s a little more produced than what I’ve been listening to lately, but not in an obnoxious way.  Just enough to really capture that gravel.

Tagged: god is deadhappy easter

26th October 2009

Audio with 6 plays

Om - Cremation Ghat II
God is Good (Drag City)

“Stoner metal,” but actually heavy, post-rock with Middle-Eastern and Indian modal touches healthily stirred in.  I’m not super familiar with these dudes, but God is Good is apparently their fourth full-length, and it was engineered by undergound super-prick (super-genius) Steve Albini, so you can feel pretty confident that this is how these guys sound live, since Albini tries mainly to capture the original live sound.

As I said before, it’s post-rock, so you won’t be surprised to find that the first track, “Thebes,” lasts twenty minutes. I’ve not posted that here, because the file is too big. Since it’s twenty minutes.

It is good though, and you can find it streaming at Om’s page on Drag City’s website.  I’ve uploaded the fourth and last track on the record, “Cremation Ghat II,” a droning cut, mixing standard post-rock gear and ethnic instruments.

Tagged: getting into a serious thinggod is dead