Vreid – V

Though having been around since 2004 when, from the demise of the band Windir (after the death of one of the members) Vreid emerged, it was with their fourth album  Milorg in 2009 that their name started to be talked about in the same breath as the big names in Black Metal. 2010 saw the band selectively choosing shows and festivals whilst concentrating on the follow-up V. The temptation upon receiving such acclaim is to stick to what worked, as so many artists do. But the Norwegian black metallers did not spend months on the new compositions to just reproduce success, they wanted to improve and explore. V is the result, and is certainly a new feel rather than direction for the quartet, with a progressive rock flavour added into their black metal/rock sound.

Album opener “Arche“ is an immediate indication of the new movement in their songwriting, and the showing of their musical skills which were always obviously there, though maybe, in many ways, hidden by their former thrash/black metal attack. The directness of sound and power is still in force here, with nothing lost in the aggression; now complimented by some delicious and intricate guitar work  from Strom and Sture, whose vocals drag along the gravelly depths of the genre perfectly. V is graced throughout with great single and dual guitar solos with, at times, bassist Hvall making his 4 string sing in similar fashion. “Wolverine Bastards” is a wonderful blend of this musical delight, side by side with aggressive play and sounds worthy of the songs title. Whilst the bass riffs on the tracks “The Sound Of The River” and, the album’s best track in my mind, “Welcome To The Asylum” are some of the best constructed in any genre of rock. These textures all help in the latter track to create an imagery  of dark, gothic, bedlam corridors, anguished and insane faces lost in the shadows of darkness to a lingering, consuming madness.

As mentioned earlier Sture’s vocals standout and are, despite the growls, easily understood which can be a rarity with some bands. But I have to say, the times when the vocals are clean and simply singing are a pleasurable addition as on, again, the song “The Sound Of The River” and the terrific “Slave”. The switch between deliveries is always a smooth transition, though with the clear vocals there is a slight echo effect that detracts a little, as it makes them feel distant when to the fore, as in the dark scowls, would work better, I believe. As with previous releases, lyrically the album finds influences in history, with artists Hamsun and Munch amongst the thoughts involved, and is as creative there as in the music itself. Closing track “Then We Die” is a great ending to the album with its well written, clever composition; bringing 80’s rock, thrash metal, with a touch of Murderdolls in there, I swear, and the progressive sounds that permeate Vreid’s metal, with drummer Steingrim a relentless surge of energy from start to finish. They combine the melodic and clever pieces of music alongside the power and darker noise so well that each play of V offers a  more enjoyable listen. It is not so much a grower on the senses, but more a picture being painted within the ear, layer by layer. The album is not flawless; at times tracks are overlong, such as “The Other & The Look”, or a little unadventurous, like “The Blood Eagle”. But these are nothing that detract immensely from a more than solid release that has much more to offer than one realises at first.

‘V’ is out now on Indie Recordings http://www.myspace.com/indierecordings and find more out about Vreid @ http://www.vreid.no

Most Precious Blood – “Animal Mother”

It’s been six years since we’ve heard a peep from Most Precious Blood. In 2005 they released Merciless and have since disappeared. On February 1st, Do Not Resuscitate hit record store shelves in a fiery tornado of fury. Track eleven off of said album is called “Animal Mother”. From the moment vocalist Rob Fusco chimes in with his signature growl, we’re instantly aware that MPB have spent the last 2,190 days honing their hardcore skills.

“Animal Mother” is by the far the best track off of this this long awaited, 12 track album. Fusco is boiling nails in his esophagus and seems to be on the verge of tears as he spews out his lyrics. Guitarist Justin Brannan keeps the track moving with his motivated chug, backed by second guitarist Rachel Rosen, bassist Matt Miller, and drummer Colin Kercz. “Abandon all you’ve wanted, because you’ve become the hunted. No man is ever so honest, as when trained by a hunter. This is no secret, from one animal to another”. Terror, fear, and your eminent death. Three words that encapsulate this track, and the album as a whole.

Starfucker-Reptilians

Okay, let’s get the obvious out of the way first. With a name like Starfucker you better be monumentally good or bad; then again you might put on a hell of a stage show. Whatever the case may be, you have caught the attention of plenty of people just by the name of your band. Enter stage right, so when I popped (actually downloaded) Reptilians into my IPod I really can’t say what I expected to hear. Partly due to me experimenting with how I review music, and another part of me not feeling like researching beforehand. My feeling is, you are able to get a better snapshot of art when you are surprised by it; at least this has been my experience with impromptu endeavors. Either way, I was not expecting the sound that was spilling forth to be so damn catchy.

Reptilians is accessible and appealing enough for somebody who does not do a ton of dancing (i.e. me). For the most part, electronic and synth music can get old easily if not done well; I do not really dance unless a gun is pointed to my head or somebody is shooting at my feet. Admittedly, I loved every second of this moody indie-dance-pop jaunt. The shimmering melodies that sometimes seem to stray into Shoegaze territory, the high pitched synchronized disaffected vocals; the trance inducing synth and electronic pulsating beats – What is not to love? This music has a very moody subtext which is of course death; yes scratching your head would be totally appropriate now, because this is not a typical dance music motif. Then again this is not a run of the mill dance album, so it all manages to balance out. However, the guys pull it off and make it work; from the brightly tinged opener “Born” to the more subdued and somewhat sexy “Bury us Alive”, and everything in between. A personal favorite of mine is “Julius” as it finds the perfect balance of everything that makes the album so great; it reminds me of night driving and has a haunting cum hypnotic feel to it. You are sure to have a slightly perplexed smile on your face accompanied by copious synchronized toe tapping. The spoken asides even fit in with the rest of the music and even add a bit of profound mysticism to the auditory expanses. Fans of Teen Daze and Sexton Blake are sure to get plenty of mileage out of these 12 groovy tracks. One more thing – yes, I did say groovy, that was not a typo.

Starfucker definitely have a gem with Reptilians, and have managed to make a remarkable album from a genre that can become quite stagnant and derivative of itself. Definitely put this album on your road trip playlist, hours will shrink and disappear as this plays. Now, whether you are looking for something to dance to, something to cruise to, or well you know… Reptilians is sure to give you a sonic jolt, whatever the circumstance.

New single from Rural Alberta Advantage

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After a breakthrough 2009 that saw them earn comparisons to The Arcade Fire and Neutral Milk Hotel, capture SXSW buzz playing on a bill with Grizzly Bear, sell out a tour, sign to Saddle Creek, and score a “Breaking Out” feature in SPIN Magazine, The Rural Alberta Advantage are poised to explode in 2011 with ‘Departing,’ out March 1 on Saddle Creek.

With The Rural Alberta Advantage’s new album, the band further refines the exuberant guitar work; everything-on-the-table singing; songwriting full of conviction and detail; and majestic, keyboard-sprinkled arrangements that have won them so many fans. ‘Departing’ strings together themes of small towns, Canadian fall and winter, break ups, and redemption and serves as a companion piece to their beloved debut album ‘Hometowns.’ Highlights include the affecting “North Star,” the stark regret of “Tornado,” and the storming, percussive surge of “Stamp,” all of which vividly set the scene.

Bibio – Mind Bokeh

Often, the further in one gets, the harder it is to come back out. Once you’ve delved so deeply into one particular thing – hobbies, careers, women – the commitment reaches a new high and suddenly, you’ve dug yourself a pretty deep hole. That isn’t to say that any one of those are bad things but, certainly, one should always maintain plenty of choices to choose from. For Bibio’s Stephen Wilkinson, 2009 was a year that found him with multiple releases that all seemed to travel different roads. There was the gentle quietness of Vignetting the Compost and then there was the lush orchestration of Ambivalence Avenue. And, sometime after that, was a remix album with newer tracks still; and each separate release was just that: a separate entity.

What many have seemingly faltered at, Bibio was able to accomplish in one brief year: being able to release entirely dissimilar albums where one could stretch, dig and bury themselves in, while still finding a way to be absolutely distinctive. With his latest release, Mind Bokeh, Wilkinson digs himself into an even wider opening with an album that features a far worldlier, instrumental vibe. There’s a definite new feel to an album by Bibio in 2011; while many of the singular trademarks remain, there are choice additions that make for another triumph of a release for the British producer.

The album’s opening moments on “Excuses” laments an understated bass melody and atmospheric blends before Wilkinson enters with lonely verses about being misunderstood and misaligned. The album focuses the shift onto the compositional side of music as Wilkinson has fully embraced the sounds that are possible ‘around the beats.’ Like many of his contemporaries – Bonobo, Flying Lotus and others – Bibio has always melded the best kind of head-changing beats with trembling ease. There are plenty of bumping, almost dubstep, feelings all over the album and, while the bigness is never in question, there is a lot more attention to altering the sound into something headier and, for Wilkinson, it works wonders.

There are some challenging new sounds, like the rock emphasis on “Take off Your Shirt.” Wilkinson’s vocals sound cunningly gritty and the live vibe is a great touch. But once you travel into “Artists’ Valley”’s laid-back beats and synth-heavy rhythms you realize that, as in travel, Mind Bokeh is a diverse journey of swirling beats. Wilkinson’s work inside the huge spectrum of electronic music is one that has encompassed different styles and ranges and, as on the aforementioned song, there is a multitude of influences that grace all of Bibio’s music. Songs that swell into instrumental wonders seem to be the heaviest hitters with changes in tempo, style, tone and even – within songs – genre. As with much of Wilkinson’s prior music the style never really mattered but, more so, just how good it sounds.

Even the menacing tones on “Pretentious” sound entirely fitting under Bibio’s massive umbrella. Over time, Wilkinson has adapted his excellent abilities to whatever he happened to be into at the time. It’s obvious that Wilkinson is able to deeply immerse himself into new love without ever losing grip of everything else; Mind Bokeh is definitely a transcendent piece of music and one that incorporates a myriad of terrific fusions – everything’s built around Wilkinson’s tremendous ideas that never seem to fall short.

Warp

Little Tybee – Humorous to Bees

One of the trickiest things to do in music is combine influences without sounding derivative. It takes true skill, focus, and cohesion of minds to channel multiple genres into a fresh, genuine and organic new identity. On its second LP, Humorous to Bees, Little Tybee has done just that. With a wonderful blend of styles and a fun, free vibe, the album is a joy to hear.

The foundation of Atlanta’s Little Tybee lies in the core songwriting of vocalist/guitarist/pianist Brock Scott. After he composes the outlines, the rest of the gang (guitarist Josh Martin, violinist Nirvana Kelly, bassist Ryan Donald, and percussionist Pat Brooks) help expand them. Little Tybee may best be classified as an orchestral pop group with a foundation in bluegrass, blues, jazz, and soul. They’re quite a melting pot, and luckily, these varied backgrounds culminate in a wonderful spirit and heartfelt tone.

The title track opens the album with a brief poem recited over acoustic guitar. The track segues into “Strong Ears” with light percussion before a calm melody, slide guitar, mellow bass, elegant violin, and simple harmonies develop the song. Scott’s vocals are one of the best aspects of Little Tybee; he exudes a fragile and soulful coolness with every word, and his band provides perfect accompaniment. The album’s single, “Nero,” is easily a highlight thanks to its catchy, sorrowful melody and mysterious music. However, the best song on Humorous to Bees is “Revolution.” Its haunting, recurring piano riff, clever wordplay, and vocal melody carries the piercing storytelling style of Tori Amos, and the way the other instruments bring an affective layer is sublime. Few tracks are this intimate and involving in modern music.

What’s most special about Humorous to Bees is how it lends itself to several situations. Most of the songs have a danceable quality, but at the same time, they’re intricate and intelligent enough lyrically to stop you in place for close analysis and listening. For example, “The Wind Will Blow You Love” builds to a beautifully affective moment similar to Ben Folds’ great “Kylie from Connecticut. “ Every song on here is expertly arranged to be instantly accessible while also revealing new things with each listen.

Humorous to Bees is a perfect example of how great music can be if artists believe in themselves and follow their unique directions. The album packages introspection and an array of themes into an uninhibited, free spirited casing. It’s amazing how well the diverse styles work together, and overall, Humorous to Bees proves that Little Tybee is a very intriguing act deserving of the media spotlight.

Check out their video for “Nero” here!

Kvelertak – s/t

If you want some good hard rock ‘n’ roll with aggression, break neck speed and the ability to fuse the best of many genres then you can do so much worse than take a listen to the debut from Norwegian metalers Kvelertak. Having already received awards the equivalent of the Grammy in their homeland this year, their self titled album should see them stretch to and grab new fans far and wide. To simplify things I guess we can call Kvelertak a hardcore band but they bring so much more to their music incorporating Black Metal, Old School Metal, Punk and all things loud and proud making the English meaning of their name, stranglehold, very apt.

Kvelertak kicks off like an express train running down the listener with “Ulvetid” and “Mjod”, two full on devastations of hard core punk and metal rock ‘n’ roll. Tripping through anything from punk, hard core metal and stoner rock they meld it into tracks that flip through pieces of each and back again whilst making it something that is distinctly theirs. Every song is a rarity as most Scandinavian rock bands sing in English but Kvelertak stick to their native tongue as vocalist Erieed Hjelvik delivers the lyrics through growls and screams in a hybrid of black metal and screamo punk. Though  it is often hard to make out words it does not matter too much as most of us will not understand anyway. I actually think it adds something to some tracks though it can frustrate when trying to join in.

“Blodtorst” and “Nekroskop” are the stand out tracks for me with the latter starting off with a punk sound not too far removed from the Sex Pistols before expanding into an orgy of noise and energy which works on every level; the former is simply a dirty, heads down rock ’n’ roll track that would not look out of place alongside a Motorhead or Anthrax contribution. Kvelertak are guitar heavy with three from Bjarte Lund Rolland, Maciek Ofstad and Vidar Landa, though it is hard at times to tell and may also contribute to the difficulty of distinguishing some tracks from others. At times you have to double check to see which track you are on, which is a strange thing as close attention tells each track has its very different moments. Marvin Nygaard on bass and Kjetil Gjermundrød on drums complete the line-up and bring a firm and direct spine to the music – the latter showing no mercy to his kit at any point on the album.

The package comes with some extra BBC session tracks recorded in 2010 and a couple of demos (all versions of some tracks in the main body of the release) and though they do not add anything extra they are a cool treat. Kvelertak have delivered a more than solid effort, despite some room for improvement, with some punk metal that is hard to find better anywhere. They have ventured into other areas to plunder and turn sounds into pieces of treasure for their own unique use. It is not all about noise and they bring melodies musically and lyrically to back the growls and aggression. This is especially evident on the closing track, “Utrydd Dei Svake”, where it is used to great effect. Kvelertak is bursting out into Europe and the rest of the world. As the album spreads like wildfire to the ears of those with metal in their blood one can only see more recognition and demand ahead. Kevertak is available now on Indie Recordings/The End.

The Marches – “Big City” Music Video

Life and times in the City of Angels have always figured prominently in the music of Richard Conti and his band The Marches.  From the film noir atmospheres of their debut record 4 a.m. Is the New Midnight to their elegiac piano ballad “Big City” – featured on last summer’s Director of Photography EP – Los Angeles has played a crucial element in defining the group’s aesthetic.  Just this past week, the band released a music video for “Big City” directed by Conti himself.  Devoid of any CGI effects but brimming with visual delights, the video is a conflicted yet captivating penetration into the high and lows of subsisting in Southern California’s megalopolis.  Check it out below.

The Marches – \”Big City\” Video

Q & A With Spencer Chamberlain of Underoath

I met Spencer about a month ago while I was DJ’ing at a local bar in Downtown St. Pete. We struck up a conversation after I played a song by the band Helmet. Every once in a while we’d see each other out, make friendly small talk and carry on with our night. I asked him polity if he’d ever be interested in doing an interview to which he was more than willing to participate. Every time I’d ever run into him I found him to be welcoming and modest. Doing this interview was a real treat.

Under what circumstances led you to becoming the singer in Underoath back in 2003?

Well back in the day I was in a different band touring and playing a lot of shows with Underoath. We all became good friends and prior to joining the band I actually moved in with Chris (the keyboard player). After a while they had approached me to join the band cause they were gonna part ways with Dallas. At first I wasn’t too sure, hearing the demo’s they had been working on and being in a band with my brother I felt obligated to stick by his side. A month or so later after they had approached me my brother took me out to lunch and told me I should join up with Underoath, that he didn’t want me to pass on a good opportunity. The rest is history, after a few practices and some shows we wrote and record and over 8 years later here I am haha.

How important was it to you to emulate Dallas Taylor, or did you go into it with a clear head concerning your vocal styling?

Umm, not really that important. It was defiantly a little strange being in a band where I was “the new guy”. I kinda did what I thought they wanted on the first record. After that though I was defiantly doing it my way, from Define The Great Line on I was finally comfortable.

Why the decision to move from North Carolina to Florida after high school?

Well it wasn’t really my decision. Growing up super close to my older brother I was in bands with him since I was about 12 years old. The band I was in at the end of high school had a mutual friend of me and my brother Phil named Tyson Shipman. Tyson went to high school with my brother but his parents had moved back to Florida soon after. Tyson had brought up the idea of Florida for us to have a free place to stay and to work for his dad doing dry wall when we were off tour. This seemed to be awesome being that we had to quit a job every time we went on tour. So I had to break the news to my parents that I was moving away, that wasn’t very fun at all to be honest but now I’ve been in the area since 2001 and couldn’t see myself living anywhere else. St. Pete is what I call home now, when I get homesick, I’m missing St Pete.

You started This Runs Through with your brother correct? How did that come about? Why did the two of you part ways after the Until Forever Finds Me EP ?

Correct, like I said earlier I had been playing with my older brother in bands since I was about 12 years old. We parted ways because he wanted to move back to North Carolina which is where he still lives today and I wanted to stay and give Underoath a shot. We still talk everyday and he is still my best friend. He still tours and we actually have done a lot of shows together.

If you listen to This Runs Through, there’s little or no singing. How did both styles work into Underoath after you joined? Was it something you discussed prior to becoming a member?

Yeah kinda, it was just a different band really. I grew up singing before I could scream, about every band prior to This Runs Through was a Deftones rip off, haha. But yeah they wanted me to join cause I could do both and now it’s defiantly paid off being the only one on the new record, and from here on out that sings on the records.

Can you explain in what way Christianity helped you overcome addiction? And how did music help?

Well I didn’t really grow up a Christian by any means, and a lot of websites and interviews have their facts wrong. It says I was an addict in high school but I wasn’t, I mean I smoked pot like most kids did but that was it. It wasn’t until 2005 when I found myself in a spot that I needed a little help. The band was dealing with new success and actually having enough money to pay rent, people knowing who we were and enough interviews out to where people knew a lot about our lives, it was kind of hard for some of us to get used to. That isn’t what bothered me though, I was realizing I was in a band with a bunch of people that didn’t get a long and weren’t really “best friends” any more and on top of that I lived in a place where I had no family around. I felt alone. So, I started to party a little harder than normal and grew further away from my band mates. Things all came crashing down on Warped Tour ’06 and we left the tour 2 weeks early, called it quits for a week or two before we all started calling each other to apologize. Everyone was in the wrong in some way or another but we did what friends do and made up. Having God, friendship, and music to write about what I was going through defiantly saved my life.

You have no qualms about stating that Underoath is a Christian band. The reaction people may have to this, does it bother you in any way?

No we never really did, I was never the person to tell anyone what to believe in or what they should or shouldn’t be doing, I just liked to share what made me a better person. Calling ourselves a Christian band isn’t really a term we like to use these days. We aren’t going back on our word, we haven’t changed in the last 5 years or so but Underoath is not a ministry band. We don’t write songs about Jesus and we don’t sing praise and worship so I think it’s a term used too loosely. We are a band full of guys who are believers but we aren’t fit to be leaders really. I’m not an ideal Christian but I will never pretend like I don’t believe. It’s for no other reason besides the fact that the term Christian band should be used for ministry type bands.

Any preconceived notions about doing a tour with Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster back in 2007 ?

No not at all. They are great guys and we were all friends for a long time. I’d do it again if and when it made sense.

What were people’s reactions to Aaron leaving in 2010? Any insight as to why he chose to leave the band?

I’m sure people were bummed or surprised before they heard any of our new material but hopefully they don’t feel that way anymore. I mean listen to The Almost and listen to the new Underoath record, you can see the problem right there. He wasn’t into playing heavy music at all really, he wanted everything the 5 of us didn’t and it started to cause problems over time. It was kind of a mutual decision on both sides. We knew we would be happier writing without him and he would be happier doing his own thing. It was a long time coming and I think the last piece of the puzzle to make Underoath the band it needed to be. Since then we have been so happy and getting along like best friends and making music we are really proud of. I think it’s the only thing that could of happened and we wouldn’t have gone on as a band if it wasn’t going to be an improvement.

Why the choice as Italy to be his last show rather than one last homecoming?

We were on tour in Europe and had actually had the discussion about 5 days before the last day on that tour. There was no need to drag it out any longer, we needed to get home and find a new drummer so we could write a record. We honestly didn’t want to make a big deal about it, we were all comfortable with the decision and just wanted to move on.

What’s the significance of 777? besides of course the title of the DVD and it’s subsequent release date?

Well when we bought a domain name for our website. Underoath.com was already taken by some law firm so we went with underoath777.com and just kinda rolled with that haha.

How important was it to you when Define The Great Line received so much attention as well as a Grammy Nomination?

Man it was crazy really, something none of us every thought would happen, but very flattering. That was the first record we felt comfortable with who we were as a band and I’m glad people liked it and didn’t turn their backs on our new sound. It gave me faith in music and the people that listen to it but a Grammy nomination was something none of us ever expected.

After the release of 0 (Disambiguation), what’s to come of Underoath in 2011 and beyond?

Well, lots of touring. We just got home from a six and a half week long head liner in the States and in a few weeks we leave for Europe. After that we will hit most of the other countries like Australia, Japan, South America, South Africa so on and so forth. We try to get to as many places as we can and I’m sure we will tour the States again before we record a new record. Really we just write, record then tour and then repeat the cycle and throw in some time off in between so we can spend time with our friends, families and loved ones.

Video and album releases for Balkans

Balkans “Edita V” video
Edita V/Cave 7″ out now, self-titled LP available May 10^th

Weekly Tape Deck is hosting the premiere of the new video from Atlanta’s Balkans — watch “Edita V” HERE. The track is off the garage tinged four piece’s debut self-titled LP out May 10th (May 9th in the UK) on Double Phantom Records.  The song is also the A-side of a limited vinyl 7″, available HERE. Balkans have a number of live performances lined up in the upcoming months including a record release show in their hometown of Atlanta in May.

TOUR DATES
4/8 – Athens, GA @ Caledonia

5/12 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree

5/14 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn (Record release show)

LINKS
“Edita V” video (Weekly Tape Deck premiere)
“Edita V” mp3
Cave video
Website

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