The last of the 2014 releases are starting to trickle through on these last few Tuesdays. While not knocking or negating any of the releases (regardless of time frame for release), it's definitely the slow time for releases and more focus on special editions, vinyl, box sets, and anything else people can grab their hands on for their loved ones.
Even though it's more my love for the films than anything else, Howard Shore's release of the final installment of The Hobbit has got me all ready to hit the theatres for opening night. And it doesn't hurt if Shore created a brilliant soundtrack to go along with the film! I am also happy to see the release day come for the anticipated sophomore album of Emigrate as I have been listening to the same single over and over again. And with special guests on the album such as Marilyn Manson, Lemmy Kilmister, Peaches, and Jonathan Davis, how could not want to dive head first into the material?!
So be a doll and show some love to these artists by purchasing their work at your local record store, online retailer, or trusted digital source. Cheers and happy Tuesday!
(Howard Shore - The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies)
The music is slowly starting to reach the levels of Lord Of The Rings, but it’s not quite there yet. Still, this is up there with Desolation Of Smaug. The best themes were created in An Unexpected Journey and Desolation Of Smaug but the best action is in this one. The darker bad guy material sounds excellent here as always. Shore has never had any trouble creating excellent bad guy material. ‘Bred For War’ is one kick-ass action/bad guy theme and so is ‘Battle For The Mountain’ and ‘Sons Of Durin’. There’s some new material here, but not something that really blows me away. I like the new bad-guy material and the new Bard and Dain material is decent, but the action material is the key factor for this score. It excels at it. -Soundtrack Geek
(Smashing Pumpkins - Monuments to an Elegy)
Instead, ‘Monuments To An Elegy’ is essentially a Corgan solo record which shows flashes of his old power, while also straying into some seriously dodgy attempts to update the Pumpkins sound for 2014. ‘Tiberius’ is a promising start, employing a Pixies-esque loud-quiet-loud dynamic and sounding fittingly imperious for a song named after a Roman emperor. ‘Being Beige’, where Corgan rails against modern, selfie-obsessed narcissism, is the album’s strongest moment, casting the 47-year-old on familiar territory as the erudite outsider, always his greatest strength. 'Anaise!' catches Corgan at his most romantic, while closer 'Anti-Hero' is the album's most raucous, most punk moment. -NME
(Ghostface Killah - 36 Seasons)
36 Seasons may not be Ghostface’s greatest project, but it is another notable addition to his extensive body of work. Rapping alongside Kool G Rap and AZ for the bulk of the album is certainly a treat, and the two have their own moments of glory. Production, on the other hand, simply does not hold on to the lyrical dynamism present between Ghost, Pharoahe Monch, AZ and G. The Revelations do an admirable job, but the neat vignettes steal away some of the raw kinetics that drive a superlative Ghost project. -Hip Hop DX
(Emigrate - Silent So Long)
With metal juggernauts like Marilyn Manson, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead and Jonathan Davis of Korn lending their vocals, Emigrate have created a lyrically potent and awesomely harrowing musical journey that we don’t want to end. However, the album shows varying levels of influence from each guest vocalist starting with the funky and melodic impressions of Seeed’s Frank Delle in ‘Eat You Alive’, a dark yet lively track that sets the bar very high for the remainder of the album with a solid, volcanic sound building up to Delle’s vocals and exploding toward the end of the song. -Sound Sphere Magazine
(Lynch Mob - Sun Red Sun)
(Various Artists - Midnight Clear)
Midnight Clear is a fun Christmas album for metalheads or those wanting something very different this Christmas. And while it’s true that a lot of Christmas albums featuring various artists (traditional or heavy) are simply a showcase of the bands/artists in the hopes of selling albums, I get the feeling that this album was put together by Solid State Records to give their fans something special at this time of year. A great release that will be getting more than a few plays in the Christian Review office! -Christian Review
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