I like surprises. Today's surprise comes in the form of a lil' three track EP from a Swedish father-son duo who utilize emotion and interconnectedness as a catalyst for their composition. With vague genre markers and little more than a mission statement to guide my ears, I was utterly uncertain what Trumbiten had cooked up on the (appropriately entitled) Emotions. As luck would have it, hitting play was cause for celebration: Tommy Arngren (the father) and Adam (the son) certainly have the goods.
Existing in the nebulous zone between hard rock, prog rock, thrash, and traditional metal, these guys made the smart move of enlisting the aid of multiple session vocalists, utilizing a global community of musicians to create slightly outside the bounds of standard industry practice. Without further blathering, we slumbering scribes are pleased to present Emotions in its entirety below. As always, we'll see you on the other side. In the meantime: enjoy!
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 These days, it's a dangerous business--as a wise scribe once wrote--going out your door. For obvious reasons, it has been quite some time since we highfalutin peasants put on the ol' adventuring boots, packed our rucksacks, and headed out for the high road, a thirst for new scenery and unexpected encounters our only true motivation. As such, I'm particularly excited as of late to feature music that evokes a sense of fantastical adventure. Enter (the accurately moniker'd) Celtic Metal Dude--not a band, but a man who endeavors to create acoustic and folk covers of folk and metal. Said covers are accompanied by some of the most gloriously bombastic music videos I've had the pleasure of witnessing as of late. Much assorted headgear, swords, beer, barechestedness, tattoos, and general emotive enthusiasm await. Y'know, the usual folky metal shenanigan stuff. For reference, please see Exhibit A: 
Beyond the visual aesthetic, of course, is the music, which is frankly some of the most engaging of its ilk. Today's song in question is a joyous little ditty with exactly the dosage of uplifting vim and vigor that I suspect we all need right about now. It's got a woodsy charm, an infectious sense of jubilance, and a self-awareness that only the best of drinking songs possess. There's a delicious lushness to this track, from the lightfooted percussion, to the flute solo, to the gang vocals, which practically ooze camaraderie. I don't know how many more ways I can say that this is a helluva fun track, so there you have it. This is a helluva fun track, and I hope you enjoy as much as we slumbering villagers did. If this all sounds like your definition of a damn good time, check out the video for "High Adventure" below! This track, released today, is an original, but we'll let the Celtic Metal Dude speak on that in detail below. In the meantime: 
Y'know what I find so endlessly endearing and intriguing about Connecticut's own Turkey Vulture? Despite a lack of released tunes in the grand scheme--indeed, the tracks herein account for, like, half of their discography--this duo consistently brings startlingly fresh ideas. Every track to their name is a new take, an exciting conglomerate of seemingly non-adjacent influences.
In other words: if invention is a product, Turkey Vulture produce it with an admirable fervor. Mixing olde-timey Americana with aggressively studded punk, morose grunge, and sludgey hard rock shouldn't, frankly, work as well as they make it. We’ve reviewed both their debut EP and a followup single, so if three reviews ain’t good enough reason to check ‘em out, I’m not sure how to help ye out of your particular predicament. Intro aside: let's get to tunes, shall we? We're honored to present here today--in full!--a premiere of Time To Pay, Turkey Vulture's latest (and greatest) EP. That's right. Four banging tracks, fresh off the press. Eat ‘em up while they’re still hot. It's damn good, but don't just take my word for it!  What, dear reader, makes a song--or an album, or an artist for that matter--quintessentially metal? That's obviously a question so broad as to be belligerently provocative, so let me just assert my two cents and get on with it: (italicized) metal is epitomized by chunky riffs, hefty atmosphere, a certain adherence to heartfelt aggression, and a devil-may-care attitude. Sure, the vast majority of music falling under the assorted subgenres will divert from this basic formula, but the existence of those factors can mean only one thing: metal is present. Time to break out the headbang.
New York's very own DemonScar are quintessentially metal, and their latest single--"MDCXCII," which we are honored to premiere here today--is a perfect exemplar of their Motorhead-by-way-of-Sabbath-by-way-of-Corrosion of Conformity aesthetic. In regards to the track in question, DemonScar state: “our new song has got a lot of those classic doom, stoner, and witchy vibes. Groove along with DemonScar as we journey back to Salem, 1692.” It's a tempting invitation, and I hope you take 'em up on the offer. Have yerselves a listen below: 
Given the current state of, well, everything, I have serious doubts that there is anyone amongst us--Villagers and passers-by alike--who isn't in need of a pick-me-up. In times like these, much to the annoyance of my compatriots, I typically turn to the unfiltered bombast and jubilance of power metal to raise spirits. Although high-flying hooky choruses, meathook melodies, stomping riffage, and lusty battle-born comraderie may not appeal to everyone, very little rivals the charybdian draw of power metal's trademark infectious chest-pounding braggadocio. As such, regardless of your contradictory opinions, and despite the (generally) bloody subject matter, an untouchable positivity seems to reigns eternal in this particular arena--for better or for worse, the genre offers a highly energetic and uplifting experience. And, for that alone, power metal has earned a perpetual (if often uninhabited) timeshare in our township.
To that end: let me introduce Solar Flare, a five-man crew attempting to put Ohio on the power metal map. In combining the flamboyance and flair of the European scene with a Jag Panzer-esque American momentum and drive, Solar Flare deliver a self-titled debut stuffed with the hallmarks of the 80's power metal and NWOBHM scenes. We're pleased and honored to offer an exclusive stream of their full album below...so, without further ado, give it a listen! |
Welcome!We provide thoughtful reviews of music that is heavy, gloomy...and loud enough to wake us from slumber. Written by a highfalutin peasantry. What are ye
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