Holy release day Batman! This is really going to hurt my wallet this week as you can see from a large selection of awesome albums hitting North American shelves this week. From the mellowness of Jack Johnson to the mind boggling work of Felix Martin (and his 14 string guitar), there should be no reason why any of you are not visiting your local record store, online retailer, or other legal source.
Some of these albums have been highly anticipated in their respected genres such as Avicii, The Devil Wears Prada, The Flatliners, Carcass, and Cult of Luna (already dropping "Vertikal II" in the same year as full length "Vertikal"). Any albums in particular caught your attention this week folks?
And on a side note, it looks like a throwback Tuesday seeing artists like Tantric, Sponge, Placebo, and Saves The Day. It has been quite some time since I have heard work coming out of these camps (then again, I am not glued to their websites for the next release). However, I am cheerful to hear about them as I plan on spinning them all this week. Cheers!
(Said The Whale - Hawaiii)
Hawaiii opens with the deceptively mellow track “More Than This.” The track relies heavily on vocal harmonies and keys to create a strong opening ballad. While the track certainly is good, it reflects a subdued energy that will only come up a handful of times on the album.
The rest of the album continues on much in the same vein of the first few tracks of the album, showcasing the bands ability to weave memorable lyrics on top of well-crafted blends of guitars and keys to produce strong tracks all around with stand outs like “Oh K, Okay.” The album closes with “The Weight of the Season,” an interesting closing song given that it is almost solemn in nature, but a strong closer all the same. -The Blue Indian
(Jack Johnson - From Here To Now To You)
Not one to veer from his signature sound, it’s business as usual, and From Here To Now To You is pretty much a more polished take on his debut, 2001’s Brushfire Fairytales. Its breezy, featherweight, sun kissed tracks can (almost) make being stuck under a clammy arm pit on a cramped Northern Line carriage feel like kicking back by the beach.
From Here To Now To You is technically almost faultless. It certainly sees Johnson carve some of the most impressive melodies of his career; Shot Reverse Shot and Tapedeck especially are destined to become unshiftable earworms when they inevitably find their way onto the Radio 2 playlist, and his voice is as smooth as the sunblock it’s advisable to lather on before listening. -Music OMH
(Avicii - True)
With so many cooks in the kitchen, it's reasonable to wonder to what degree Avicii himself was the mastermind behind it all, or simply the excuse to bring so many creatives together. Sure, he supplies the whizzing synths and stolid dance beats, but those are often the least interesting aspects of True. (Complicating matters is the fact that his manager, Ash Pournouri, gets a writing credit on every track.) But it's possible to read the result as kind of pop Bildungsroman inspired by Bergling's own troubled backstory.
While EDM grapples with growing pains, beset by adult problems like drugs and money, Avicii has made an album with the kind of pure pop heart that's as likely to appeal to eight-year-olds as it is to amped-up ravers. Ever since the days of Smart E's "Sesame's Treet," rave has been about getting in touch with one's inner child, and Avicii pulls it off here with a virtual island of misfit (and slyly well-matched) toys where, to the surprise of everyone, no one comes out looking like an ass. -Spin
(Placebo - Loud Like Love)
When they’re trying to provoke a reaction, they come across as trying too hard. When they put more focus on restraint, they’re capable of still being relevant. Loud Like Love has bright spots, but the laborious moments threaten to undo their good work. Those who never boarded the Placebo train in the first place will find little here to make them reconsider, and even the die-hards might have to admit that their favourite band are at a crossroads. -Music OMH
(Sponge - Stop The Bleeding)
This latest release is a typical album for the band, only in the sense that it sounds like Sponge. This latest attempt to “Stop the Bleeding’ is an affirmation that they don’t want to be the band they started out to be with Rotting Piñata. They have kept their original sound, but they have also managed to update that sound with a much more modern take on the production, arrangements, and addition of more industrial and electronica flourishes and interesting percussion parts that show themselves in ‘Fade From View’, the first track on the album. -Music Insider Magazine
(Tantric - 37 Channels)
The record also mirrors Hugo Ferreira‘s life. He pours his heart and his soul into his songs and onto the record and it is perceptible at first listen. More than just another album, the collection of songs takes the listener on one of his most personal albums to date, both inspired and soulful. At the end, he manages to be versatile and impressive while staying cohesive and true with himself. The trademark Tantric sound with his intricate guitar work and crunching riffs is always present in the opener track, Again and Blue Room.
Overall, 37 Channels combines a fine and sophisticated fusion of contemporary and old school country and rock that will not leave the listener , old or new, indifferent and glad to see that there is still musicians authentic and honest with their art. -Evigshed
Locked & Loaded is set for release on September 17 and the anticipation is mounting. It is rare that an album is not only good from beginning to end, but holds your attention and confronts you head on. ETA has created a work that is hard to dissect, because despite the minor flaws on select tracks, if you remove any of them this album wouldn’t be nearly as powerful or influential. Locked & Loaded features all the core components- Sex, Drugs, and Rock N Roll, with one added ingredient: Determination. Sassaris said once in interview that he was tired of coming in second place, and Locked & Loaded is definitely blue-ribbon sh*t. This album will make you want to relinquish control and drown in it. Kicking down the door to the mainstream and marking their territory with Locked & Loaded, ETA will tear down your walls, burn your delusions and raise the bar... -Examiner
So, how does a band that has overwhelmingly swept up all known music awards over these last couple of years celebrate such a great achievement? Simple, really – they book an amazing venue (ancient Roman theatre of Phillippoplis) and a full orchestra (Plovdip Philarmonic Orchestra) and, with the help of some of their most loyal fans, record a top quality DVD/Blu-ray release. Ecce: “Universal”!
If you choose to invest in “Universal”, which I strongly recommend you do, better opt for the Blu-ray version, as it features footage of an acoustic set that members of the band performed at the Union Chapel in London – something that heightens the overall experience. One of the best filmed and best live performances I have seen in years! -Get Ready To Rock
If you enjoyed Dead Throne, then you will have no problem getting into 8:18. My biggest complaint is that their sound seems to have gotten lighter, and Mike Hranica’s vocals are more yelling than ear drum shattering screams. I think any old school fan will admit they miss those killer vocals, and while I love their new stuff I wish they’d bring back some of those growls! I’d like to see something like their Zombie EP except full length, themed or not. -Under The Gun
So what if the cover is dull, you may ask. Well the production in the guitars is flush with bottom end and easily approachable, built on rhythms much simplified from the recognizable triplets at the heart of Iced Earth. All 10 songs are of a standard length and structure so leave your desires for any repeats of "Travel in Stygian" or "Dante's Inferno" at the door my friend as they are not to be found here, but with a European tour fast approaching we will soon find out how well they translate to the live arena. If it were not for the strength of Mr. Barlow I would not give them a chance of succeeding but Ashes of Ares' greatest asset will at least provide a platform to work from on future records. -Metal Archives
The Mountain is a much looser record, if we're going to try and describe it with an adjective. Where their previous two have been very concrete in their composition, The Mountain feels much more slinky and improvisational in an odd way. Songs like "The Cockroach King" and "Pareidolia" are multifaceted in instrumentation and technique (slap bass and fingered bass, for instance) that overall, as these elements aren't only present in the aforementioned, almost a live, emotional, real, raw feel to them that only benefits the record in the best way possible.
The verdict is clear on The Mountain: Haken have done it again. While they've switched sounds from Visions to The Mountain, they've managed to retain that now-classic Haken sound fans have come to know and love. This isn't a repeat of old material, nor is it only a slight progression from one to the other. Haken have taken yet another step out of their comfort zone and nailed it. -Metal Injection
Dead Language contains a fair share of gems sure to become live staples for years to come, however. Opener "Resuscitation of the Year" features lots of quick drumming, cool guitar interplay and fun gang vocals; "Drown in Blood" has perhaps Chris Cresswell's best vocal performance on the album, his voice snarling around and within the song's excellent chorus; the poppy bounce of "Hounds" and "Caskets Full" set them apart from some of the mother mid-tempo fare on the record. Then there's "Quitters," which at 2:04 should feel awfully crowded with all its tempo changes and wild drumming but never does. -Punk News
The title track closes the 40 minutes of Anonymous and its brooding intro gives way to massive grooves, massive mosh and pretty straightforward hardcore (including another wonderful, “BLEH!” – there are several). All the homages that have been melted down here, along with the occasional curious/questionable moments, mark Stray From The Path out as one of the more interesting hardcore bands knocking around at the moment. It’s time to take note. -Thrash Hits
Masks is a step forward for Eyes Set To Kill. Clearly a band with a broad range of talents the four piece has created possibly their strongest effort to date. Alexia’s vocals shine throughout the record and Miranda provides us with harshness in his style keeping things interesting. The song writing on the record is top notch with structures emphasizing atmosphere, ability to capture a moment in the music, and sincere emotion. One may say Eyes Set To Kill is ready to take off their masks with this release. There is no need to conform to any genre or style when you have the ability this band does. Masks is a excellent listen for new and old fans alike. -Cryptic Rock
Fresh-faced and rejuvenated after completing their interconnected trilogy of albums, 2006's Sound the Alarm, 2007's Under the Boards, and 2011's Daybreak, Saves the Day return with a refreshingly light and upbeat self-titled effort. Free from the constraints of the three-album cycle, it feels as though Saves the Day are reveling in their first taste of freedom away from their ambitious experiment. Now, in what feels like a reintroduction of sorts, the band gets back to doing what it does best with an album of infectious and unabashedly upbeat emo-pop that revels in its sunshiny warmth. Despite being Saves the Day's eighth studio record, it feels oddly appropriate that this is the album that bears the band's name as its title. A summery album that's hard to listen to without bopping your head and smiling, this kind of carefree and sweet album is exactly the sound that defines the band. Sometimes, too much sweetness can be a bad thing, but the group's deft touch, combined with the album's compact running time of a little over 30 minutes, keeps Saves the Day from becoming saccharine. It's almost like reconnecting with an old friend after years apart and finding out he's every bit as fun as you remembered. So while it's no shock that the bandmembers had an album like this in them after all this time, Saves the Day's effervescence makes for a pleasant surprise, giving listeners a brief escape from their day into a world filled with poppy hooks and sparkling melody. -All Music
(Carcass -Surgical Steel)
Moving forward, the pounding rarely relents, as though Carcass is making up for lost time. With titles like “Cadaver Pouch Conveyor System” and the thoughtfully spare “A Congealed Clot of Blood,” it feels from top to bottom as though we simultaneously have the old Carcass back and a yet-unrealized manifestation fashioned exclusively for this record. It’s an impressive hat-trick that will cause old fans to beam with delight while new ears simply get a kick-ass death metal record the likes of which ought to always be welcome. -Invisible Oranges
The Scenic Album is dense and comprehensive, harboring the breed of power that guitarists like Tosin Abasi and Chris Letchford have been swiping at for quite some now. Not to say Felix Martin has outperformed his peers-- his style is more an amalgam of his favorites, and is lacking its own definitive edge-- but for the man’s debut release, The Scenic Album is quite the accomplishment. -Sputnik Music
EPs:
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(Cult of Luna - Vertikal II)
Vertikal II, is much mellower than its predecessor, something that’s made readily apparent by its opening track, “O R O”. With clean vocals, slow haunting guitar, and industrial percussion the album opens up with a deceptively smooth welcome. As Vertikal II progresses forwards it gets heavier.
Overall, the entry is one that will particularly appeal to COL’s more hardcore fan-base but that doesn’t mean that casual listeners should ignore it. There’s a lot to be heard in this release and it’s a unique experience that, when accompanied by the first album, creates a more complete understanding of the art, atmosphere, and mood defined by Vertikal. -Music Review
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