Ok, so I'm a metalhead, not a mathhead. On Friday I started this 5 part column naming the 50 albums you need to hear from 2014 by only naming 5 albums. If you're a little smarter than me you'll realize that math doesn't add up. So here I am writing part 1A to give you the next 5 that should have been in part 1.
[BLACK/PROG/FOLK] AGALLOCH - THE SERPENT AND THE SPHERE
Agalloch is band with a storied history whom people have high expectations for and Agalloch never misses the mark and this is no exception. The Faustian Echoes EP last year was much more "Black" than usual Agalloch music and I myself wondered if this album would go in that direction but they've actually embraced their progressive tendencies more than ever.
[DOOM] VESTAL CLARET - THE CULT OF VESTAL CLARET
Riffs upon riffs upon riffs under the vocals of man of many great bands, Phil Swanson. The best classic Doom album of the year and I'm sure it'll remain that way.
[BLACK/DOOM] PREDATORY LIGHT - DEMO MMXIV
Sometimes lurching, always atmospheric metal that blasts you in all the right places. Sometimes this kind of stuff tends to feel never ending but I just want this 2 song 17 minute demo to keep going. With memorable riffs, atmospherics and a production job the fits the music, I can't wait for a full length.
[HEAVY/SPEED] BLACK MAGIC - WIZARD'S SPELL
This is just solid Heavy Metal that has gone under the radar. For some reason I haven't seen much promotion of them from their awesome label, High Roller Records. Think Show No Mercy era Slayer. Also contains their demo which is a little more in the tradition of first wave Black Metal. Might be my favorite album of the year so far.
[BLACK/SLUDGE] LORD MANTIS - DEATH MASK
Music every bit as off putting and filthy as the transgendered zombie on the cover of the album. Filthy guitars, filthy, rippiing vocals. Their debut Pervertor made my top 5 when it came out and I'm fairly certain this one will end up there too.
I've become a really huge fan of Agalloch over the past three or
four years. The band has been around for 17, so I was a little late to
the party. Thanks to bands like Agalloch and Thrawsunblat, the whole
Folk Metal genre has become one of my favorites. Blending the best
elements of Black Metal "Whisper Screams" and Pagan atmospherics/lyrical
ideology make this band one of the best of it's kind. While their last
release Marrow of the Spirit had more of a winter gloom going for it,
The Serpent and The Sphere is bursting with rays of summer sun. The
songs are bright and the instrumentation is much more progressive than
say their last three albums.
While I really enjoyed the natural
sounds of nature(streams, forest rustling) on their last release, this
record has it's own identity and relies less on what's happening around
the songs. The Serpent & The Sphere is a refined composition of all
the band's best attributes. This cd may echo the past but it does not
stand complacent in the shadow of it's enormity.
Recommended: The 10 minute plus opener is monumental!
Agalloch:
John Haughm − vocals, guitar, drums
Don Anderson − guitar, drums, keyboard
Jason William Walton − bass guitar
Aesop Dekker − drums
Grownman and I are back with another column giving our opinion on randomly generated songs that I have stored on my computer. It's simple. I have so much goddamn shit on my computer that I don't listen to, I figure I'll find a piece of charcoal that could be a diamond eventually, no? Anyway, nothing to under the radar here this week but lets commence with the opinions shall we?
AGALLOCH - IN THE SHADOW OF OUR PALE COMPANION
THE MANTLE
2002
GROWNMAN SAYS:
Before I even give my impressions on this, I'll say that I'm a big fan of Agalloch. Their album "Marrow of the Spirit" is one of my favorite albums of the last few years. I've really gotten into this style of Black Metal that integrates folk music instrumentation and often celebrates the power of nature in it's lyrics. This is a great track and has a bit more clean singing than their latest stuff. They definitely have a very distinct sound. I can tell this band by the fantastic drumming alone. I'm gonna invest more time into listening to their earlier work like this.
FORK TONGUE SAYS:
There's something about Agalloch in the cooling and cold months that makes we want to bundle up, grab my noise cancelling headphones and just walk until the city lights can no longer be seen. To sit under the stairs, watch my hot breath hit the cold air and just experience nature. Often times in snow storms I'll sit in front of my house with a cigar and some whiskey and just listen to Agalloch. There are no better times for me. That's the pinnacle. Solitude, music and the elements. Not much else needs to be said.
JESS AND THE ANCIENT ONES - SULFUR GIANTS
JESS AND THE ANCIENT ONES
2012
GROWNMAN SAYS:
What is this? Sounds like Ghost fronted by Pat Benetar. Hell I don't mind this at all. I'll have to say this is
less pretentious than GHOST that's for sure. Yeah I know a lot of people are huge fans of Ghost and that retro Blue Oyster Cult sound. I never found anything particularly interesting about Ghost other than the whole get up they perform in. I have the same feelings about Kiss. Now Jess and the Ancient Ones is pretty cool. The beginning of this song is very sweet. There is an intentional sincerity that's devoid of the ironic "look at me I'm doing retro" shit. The song takes a turn to a more familiar and dated sound later on when the vocals kick in. The lead singer has a decently strong voice that's confident and feminine. The tone of this song in particular has some Pink Floyd'ish elements (say momentary lapse of reason era). I'm not sure what the song is really about and from the peanut gallery's comments on youtube I'm judging it must have something to do with pagan ideals. I'm neither for or against and I think personally when it comes to hearing a band for the first time I look more at song structure and musicianship. So I say this was definitely worth the listen and even got me to look at a few of their other songs. (The final bombast of this song does remind me of the Botchamania theme so I'll give this extra credit)
FORK TONGUE SAYS:
I'll be the first to tell you I'm a sucker for this trend of female fronted occult retro rock. There's a ton of it (male also) and a lot of it is pretty damn good. Rock n' Roll needs a kick in the balls and a lot of this stuff is on target, Bruce Lee squared. Jess and The Ancient Ones are the stand out to me because of the strong vocals. I'm normally not huge on female vocals but Jess has the chops and just enough rasp ala Janis Joplin. Lot's of big riffs here and I love organ on pretty much anything. They also released an EP this year which I also highly recommend. Oh, and the first Ghost album is incredible.
MAGIC CIRCLE - MAGIC CIRCLE/CLOVEN IN TWO
MAGIC CIRCLE
2013
GROWNMAN SAYS:
Listen to that sound. So brutally crisp. Another band I love and I appreciate even more with each listen. To think these guys came from a hardcore band. Magic Circle probably represent the Sabbath sound best of all current bands out there. Each lyric is delivered heartfelt. To think these guys are still underground while bands like Red Fang get all the spotlight is a travesty. There are two styles of Sabbath inspired bands. The soundalikes and the bands that's tap into whatever demonic muse Black Sabbah came across once they left the confines of that bluesy Earth period. Magic Circle know that muse very well.
FORK TONGUE SAYS:
Full disclosure. You'll be seeing this high atop my Best of 2013 list. Also, this was put out by Armageddon Shop which is 15 minutes away from my house and run by Ben Barnett of Dropdead.But honestly, there is no bias here. This is an incredible album. I really don't hear much Sabbath other than on occasion when the singer gets a little nasally like Ozzy. What I hear more here is the NWOBHM influence of someone we've covered in these pages before; Pagan Altar. Granted it's mostly in the riff department but the riffs and vocals carry this album equally. By the way, these dudes are in Hardcore bands like Rival Mob and Doomriders all the way down to Death Metal bands like Innumerable Forms. All quality stuff. And for good measure, singer Brendan Radigan just released this doozy of a solo project on the world 2 days ago. Bonus, check it out.
