My intellectual curiosity has been fulfilled once again this week. Not that there is anything wrong with straight up rock and metal, but it doesn't seem to be a diversified website if you're only catering to one or two genres. That's why I put my trust in artists such as Andrea Bocelli, The Piano Guys, and Wynton Marsalis to come out with some great new material for those mornings and weekends where the distortion and the double kickers are not necessarily what I had in mind.
Nonetheless, Motorhead, Def Leppard, Metal Church, Glass Cloud, and even AFI are also pumping out the albums this week as well. So we got some choices here, but which one are you going for? I got my top dollar on new Motorhead, Glass Cloud, Piano Guys, and AFI as they have all been on my radar for quite some time now.
So how do you get these albums? Well, for starters you can head down to your local record store to grab some physical copies. You can also head to an online retailer if you are stuck at your job all day and want a copy shipped to your house. Don't want a physical copy? Well shoot, then head to a legal online source to grab a digital copy of these albums. After seeing this week's selection, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
(The Piano Guys - A Family Christmas)
Utah-based classical pop collective/savvy multimedia outfit the Piano Guys' A Family Christmas offers up 12 holiday standards, including "Angels We Have Heard on High," "Carol of the Bells/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," and "Silent Night," each of which (in typical Piano Guys fashion) will be accompanied by a festive YouTube video. A deluxe version of A Family Christmas is also available, and features the entire 12-track album, along with a bonus DVD featuring all of their videos, as well as a yule log video (digital fireplace) that includes all of the songs. -All Music
(Wynton Marsalis - The Spiritual Side Of)
Though a compilation, The Spiritual Side of Wynton Marsalis has a central artistic theme. It alternates slow and fast numbers, a repetition which represents the New Orleans funeral function – sorrowful but ultimately uplifting. From a single plaintive chant, to an instrumental reenactment of a Sunday service, to a full choir shouting for redemption, this new release is designed to celebrate our collective soul. We are uplifted by Marsalis’ supreme love for artistic excellence and that most pervasive of consciousnesses, the spirit. -Asha Brodie Jazz
(Andrea Bocelli - Love In Portofino) [CD/DVD/Blu-Ray]
For most part of the film, I felt like clapping my hands, impressed with the beautiful vocals and flawless singing performance by Andrea Bocelli and the guest singers. There's definitely language barrier 'cause almost all the songs aren't in English. It also lacks of engagement visuals, so practically you'd only see the performers jamming, the audience and the scenery of the place. But the music and projected ambiance are so romantic, you'd feel like making love on the spot. Local fans, Andrea Bocelli: Love in Portofino can be a warm-up for you before his concert here in May. Not-so-fortunate fans, this may be the most affordable alternative. Non-fans, this is your chance to impress your crush by pretending that you appreciate good stuffs. -Colourless Opinions
(Motorhead - Aftershock)
Such is Aftershock, an album that many were worried wouldn’t happen due to Lemmy’s recent bouts with ill health. But there’s nothing to worry about: Aftershock is another worthy entry into Motörhead’s long discography, with 14 rollicking tracks of brawn, broads, and blazing riffs.
In a genre choked with over-technical playing, subgenre worship, and retro posturing, it feels refreshing to have a solid Motörhead record come out and remind us how it’s done. Big juicy burger? Sounds fucking great. -Revolver
(AFI - Burials)
Burials is obsessed with beginnings and endings, so it makes sense that its best moments are its bookends. Opener “The Sinking Night” and closer “The Face Beneath The Waves” are of a piece; not only do they rise and fall on a tide of haunted atmosphere given shape by Havok’s Dave Gahan-like croon, they call back to the horror-drowned theme of Black Sails In The Sunset, the band’s 1999 turning point from punk to goth. At this point in AFI’s existence, it shouldn’t matter what arbitrary pigeonhole it gets crammed into or excluded from. Burials is, barring a few missteps, a work of operatic melodrama set to bleak, bold, impeccable hooks. And that’s all it needs to be. -AV Club
(Metal Church - Generation Nothing)
It can be inferred that METAL CHURCH, in conjunction with an old school modernly made sound engineering to fit the band’s older image, sent me back to their golden era but at the same time also referred me to their weaker days of the late 90’s. Though my own cravings for another barrage of outstanding old US Metal that driven me for overwhelming anticipations, METAL CHURCH’s “Generation Nothing” turned out to be a good record on my bill, far from being a clincher like their 80’s era, but possibly a formed build up. -Metal Temple
(Def Leppard - Viva Hysteria: Live At The Joint, Las Vegas)
The concert footage is outstanding, and none of the members of the band ever looked tired or bored while onstage. They’re all in their 50s, or near it, and they still have the same amount of talent and energy from their younger years. The jumbotron in the stage background would sometimes show shots of the members performing, but it was mostly used for the really cool visuals the band had for each of their songs. From showing old concert footage to nifty animations, the band did an incredible job of making the concert a worthwhile event. This is definitely a concert that would have been great to see live. -Examiner
EPs:
(Glass Cloud - Perfect War Forever)
“This [EP] is hands down the most aggressive, angriest, and heaviest material we have created. I seriously cannot wait to play some of this stuff live. Playing each night alongside The Chariot…we obviously got to bring it.” -Josh Travis
The EP is great, for sure, but, holy fuck, those last two tracks stand out like nothing they’ve ever done before. Comparisons to The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza were always inevitable but ‘Soul Is Dead‘ and ‘Lilac‘ seem to be channeling that primal brutality more than ever before — if you’ve previously written the band off for whatever reason, I’d implore you to retry with those two tracks as a starting point. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to spin them again. -Heavy Blog Is Heavy
No comments:
Post a Comment