Leprous - Bilateral

Unassuming and quietly confident, Leprous solidified their position as the leading producers of ridiculously catchy bizzaro metal

Most of the time when I review something here, its because I think that the album or game or whatever is somehow interesting enough to warrant writing about it. In Leprous' case, not only do I think Bilateral (and their other, also excellent albums) is worth talking about but I'm trying to put into words the fact that I've been listening to Leprous consistently, every day, for the past few weeks. Sometimes just one album a day, sometimes two - they really put the hook in me, which is kind of relieving in a way as I had been worried I would never really "get" them. Man, do I get them now.

Bilateral is, at its core, a progressive album - odd instruments and sounds (Spanish horns, funny keyboards, etc.), longer songs, and strange lyrics (seriously, take a look) are all here, as you would expect. What makes this album (and all of Leprous' material, really) stand out is the way in which these genre standbys are deployed in such a competent way. Basically what it comes down to is that these guys know how to write a goddamn song, make it interesting and memorable and melodic, and still clock in under eight minutes - which is very impressive considering how easy and annoyingly commonplace it is for bands these days to write ten minute long jerk-off fests that go nowhere. But thats another topic entirely, so whatever.

Why do I think Bilateral is so strong? Because it features the concentrated effort of dedicated musicians to pull off while still incorporating maddeningly catchy hooks and choruses. Songs like "Painful Detour", "Cryptogenic Desires", "Thorn", and the title track have as many "guaranteed to stick in your head for days" moments (or more) as a standard pop act - right up there with bands like King's X and Galactic Cowboys in that area, which is a pretty damn nice change from the usual stuff. Like those aforementioned bands Leprous have a solid mix of metal and prog going on, and they go back forth between clean and harsh vocals - more heavily utilizing cleans, with the screaming serving as a nice bit of palette-cleanser throughout the album as they shift from bite-sized, straight-ahead rockers (title track, "Waste of Air"), longer, proggier tunes ("Forced Entry", "Painful Detour"), soft-ish, richly harmonized ballads ("MB. Indifferentia", "Acquired Taste"), and their own European quirkiness ("Restless", "Thorn", "Cryptogenic Desires"). Every song on this album is memorable and distinct, and new ideas come and go so quickly that it always feels fresh and slickly constructed. Bilateral is quirky without being mawkishly so, fresh without being pretentious, and immensely listenable without sacrificing complexity. An impressive and absorbing record from start to finish.

 

Revocation - Deathless

As intricately constructed as any of their previous works, Deathless sees Revocation focusing on stronger hooks and tighter songwriting than ever before, with brilliant results  

Every so often a band comes along that captures the fickle hearts of the metal community, is hoisted aloft on their flabby shoulders and is proclaimed as the new poster child of the genre, and with Deathless, Revocation seems like a group that everyone seems to like (hint: it's cause they're really good).

If you've heard a Revocation album before, you have a good frame of reference for what Deathless is all about (Skeletonwitch is acceptable substitute). Revocation's songs tend to be longer and proggier than the 'Witch's, but both bands produce material in a grab-bag style of genres including thrash, black, death, tech, prog, and more, culminating in a kind of metal melting pot that defies easy classification, although I will risk over-simplification and just call Revocation technical death-thrash for now (really rolls off the tongue, eh?).

You may have heard rumors of Deathless being "simple" or "straight ahead" compared the Bostonians' earlier efforts - and I would say those rumors are mostly true. There aren't any banjos or horn sections, and what the disc lacks in experimentation it makes up for with sheer polish and songwriting flair (plus enough sweet guitarmonies to make Tom Scholz jealous). From the title track's blues-infused guitar solo to the filthy riffage (and wrist-snap-inducing drumming) of "Scorched Earth Policy", to the instrumental "Apex" (think "YYZ" if it had been written by Kerry King) and the powerful closer "Witch Trials" and its sublime outro.

With Deathless, Revocation make it clear to everyone within earshot that even after 4 albums, that they don't plan on slowing down or phoning it in anytime soon. A truly committed outfit with a talent and work ethic that the rest of the genre could stand to learn from -- these guys are well worth your support.

Dream the Electric Sleep - Heretic

I recently stumbled onto these guys (thank you Bandcamp) and man am I glad I did. Dream the Electric Sleep is a.. um... progressive shoegaze (?) band from Kentucky that just released their 2nd album, "Heretics". Their first album came out in 2011 so they're still pretty new, and they're making some pretty cool tunes, so check them out.

So yeah, progressive shoegaze? Yeah, that probably isn't the best way to describe them, but they aren't just straight-up prog rock or full-on shoegaze -- try to imagine Steven Wilson's talent at building atmosphere, paired with a healthy dose of indie rock chutzpuh and a proclivity for trance-like compositions: think Dark Side of the Moon-era Pink Floyd with a post-rock indie tinge to it. These guys have progressed considerably as songwriters since their debut album Lost and Gone Forever. as every one of these songs have their own sonic identities that help them stand alone without standing apart.

Literally every song has its own melodic hook, similar to Haken's Aquarius where each song had one big vocal motif/idea that the song revolved around, but on a smaller scale - there aren't really any solos, and the composition of the music itself is much stronger than usual. No bullshit noodling or filler, just well-done music for the low, low price of free. Give em' a shot.

David Crosby - Croz

Richly textured and brilliantly realized, Croz sees David Crosby at the top of his game - maybe not at the peak, but damn close

This one's been cooking for a while - I remember listening to Croz last winter when it was released and enjoying mostly the same parts of it that I do now. Why it took me a whole year to write about it, I'm not sure, but here goes. One important caveat beforehand, though: I'm not really a huge David Crosby fan. I listened to If I Could Only Remember My Name once, but don't really remember any of it, and my tastes have always ran more towards Neil Young and Stephen Stills when I'm in the mood for this kind of stuff, so I'm not well qualified to compare Croz to his past work and tell you whether it holds up or not (I suspect it does, for what that's worth).

Anyway, Croz is David Crosby's first solo record in 20 years, which sounds insane before you remember that he didn't just drop off the face of the earth in '93 - he had been playing shows with CPR and the reunited CSNY off and on for the last 10 years or so, so he wasn't completely inactive. He's been around the block a few times, and Croz reflects that passage of time in a way that I can only relate to Elton John's most recent album, The Diving Board. Both discs come from bona fide superstars in their twilight years (Crosby more than John, certainly) and exude an atmosphere of slight melancholy countered by a kind of elegance earned from the accumulation of years; but whereas John is still an entertainer at heart, Crosby is unafraid to lay himself bare and soak his feelings into the music.

What's ironic about Croz, then, is how not bare the album sounds. Every track is packed with additional instruments and sounds that make songs around 3 minutes long feel double that length, and multiple listens are practically demanded by Crosby and his band's meticulous assembly work. The songs themselves aren't terribly varied -- mostly mid to slow tempo ballads, with a few foot-tappers stashed inside to keep your blood pumping. Where Croz really impresses is with the variation within that small musical map, from "Holding Onto Nothing"'s beautifully subdued trumpet solo, to James Raymond's keyboard flourishes during the closing of "The Clearing", all the way to more well-hidden elements like Mark Knopfler's fretwork on "What's Broken" all combine to form some wonderfully powerful folk rock with some of the best lyrics I've ever heard, period (seriously). I never thought that the first time I heard the phrase "Cognitive dissonance", it would be coming out of David Crosby's mouth among phrases like "Molecules go flying by" and "A slice of time/curling, peeling/back from the edge of a knife".

All that being said, Croz isn't without flaws: while the music is certainly well executed and written, it's definitely the weakest link here - some of the songs meander a bit too much for their own good, like "Slice of Time" and "Morning Calling", and even Crosby's excellent vocals can't quite pull them back out of the quicksand. The record also sounds very tight - almost too tight, so if you're a fan of more organic sounding recording techniques you might be put off by squeaky clean everyone sounds.

Those missteps can't hold Croz back from being a truly incredible record, though - just like the man that created it, the flaws are as big a part of what it is as the good parts. 

Good tunes from 2014

Well, since its almost New Years I figured I would hop on the bandwagon and pop out a "best of 2014" list, which in the process of writing made me realize how terrible my memory is -- I seriously almost had trouble remembering what stuff came out this year (a lot of good shit, actually). Feast your eyes (in no particular order):

Fallujah - The Flesh Prevails

Starting off with probably the most polarizing release this year, Fallujah's weird ass "deathgaze" didn't go over well with everyone - nor did the apparently spotty production of the album (which I was lucky enough to not encounter). I'm not quite as fond of it as I was when I reviewed it, but it remains a very bold, very interesting album that is definitely worth a listen.

Destrage - Are You Kidding Me? No

Topping the list of "quirkiest albums released this year", this little gem was the biggest sleeper hit of the year for me. Bizarre lyrics, great riffs, and an incredibly long album title -- aren't foreign bands the best?

 

Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden

Pallbearer is hot stuff right now, and for good reason -- they've managed to breathe new life into the ancient mummy that is doom (plus, look at that album art!). If you listen to nothing else on this list, this is the one album you need to check out.

Tempel - On the Steps of the Temple

Another true sleeper, these guys came out of nowhere with their debut album and absolutely crushed it. Good riffs? Check. Actual use of dynamics and quiet time? Check. Amazing artwork and atmosphere? Mega-check. These guys are up there with Pallbearer as the bands I'll be keeping an eye on in 2015.

Triptykon - Melana Chasmata

Finally, I feel like I have to mention this record. Tom Warrior's group knocked it out of the park with this one, delivering a dark, fuzzy (or slimy, looking at that artwork) bunch of songs that still don't sound quite like anything else, despite how long ole' Tommy boy has been at this.

Honorable Mentions

Opeth - Pale Communion

When I first reviewed this album, I wasn't a huge fan and mentioned how it just wasn't clicking with me -- well, revisiting it now I'm glad to say it totally has (and strongly enough to get me to buy a physical coy). I'm a huge fan of Opeth's shift into weird creepy prog, and I'm very interested to see how they'll follow up.

Haken - Restoration

While I'm not the biggest fan of the new version of "Blind", I loved most of this EP. "Crystallized" is one of the best progressive songs I've heard in a long time, and just like with Opeth I can't wait to see what these guys do after The Mountain and this disc. 

Rant: Haken (and bands in general) "sold out"

So I've been seeing this opinion here and there ever since Haken released Visions, but it seemed like The Mountain made people shut up and realize that the guys still have some tricks up their sleeves. Recently, though, I feel like its been making a comeback (catalyzed by the release of Restoration).

The opinion that Haken have purposefully altered their sound to resemble more conventional progressive bands like Dream Theater is borderline insulting -- and this applies to most bands nowadays. Especially in such a niche sub-genre within a very un-mainstream genre (progressive music in general), how much more money would they really make by altering their sound? Anyone playing any kind of metal music nowadays will never be rich no matter what they sound like, (barring the 5% of metal bands that are popular with girls) so it isn't like they're trying to turn a quick buck.

Yeah, Aquarius is a great album, we get it. But that was 4 years ago - time to move on. If you don't like what Haken or any other band is doing, thats fine, and if you want to voice your opinion, thats fine, just don't spout ignorant shit like this.

Far Cry 4 Review

Shameless in its familiarity, Far Cry 4 is a mostly fun and occasionally fascinating iteration on Far Cry 3's reward circuit formula, with all meta-narrative ambition stripped away to make room for the real star of the show: the gameplay.

As a fan of the Far Cry series, I found myself experiencing a strange kind of hype whiplash in the months leading up to this one's release. On the one hand, the new environment and the set-up for the story seemed genuinely interesting; on the other, the low level minutia of actual gameplay seemed incredibly similar to the previous game. The information and further gameplay we were shown painted (at least for me) an unprecedented likeness to Far Cry 3, which was a fairly big deal for this series.

Strange Deja Vu  

And after getting 20 or so hours into it, the feelings of familiarity definitely only increased. The mixture of old and new ideas is pretty largely skewed, and on paper the balance doesn't seem too flattering for the game -- but everyone and their dog has already mentioned how "samey" it feels, so I'll save you that trouble. In any case, it was kind of a foregone conclusion given the 1/2 as long development cycle.

It isn't just the gameplay, though -- many of the missions in the campaign are riffs on previous escapades (some more obvious than others), with some pretty standard "decision making" thrown in. From what I've seen, these decisions don't really affect the outcome much, which is both annoying and nice. Annoying, in that Ubisoft thinks I'll enjoy these little decision trees even though they have little bearing on the plot, and nice because in a game with an inexplicable lack of save slots, I just don't give enough of a shit to start over and see how it would play out had chosen Sabal over Amita. Which brings me to the characters.

Characters Welcome?

While I was afraid Pagan Min would turn out to be a half-assed Vass clone, he quickly became my favorite (just as Ubisoft intended, I'm sure). His appearances bookend the game and just like with Vaas, I found myself leaning in and turning up my TV to hear him -- Troy Baker deserves huge props for making a character with a tiny fraction of the screen time as the others the most interesting one.

There really ins't much to say about the headbutting leaders of the Golden Path, Amita and Sabal. Amita is the modernist, Sabal the traditionalist. Neither side is explored in a deep way, and outside of a single drug trip that causes you to hallucinate the "dark side" of the one you've backed, their motivations and goals are incredibly under-developed. Side characters like Yogi/Reggie and Hurk are apparently just here for comedic relief -- the only other one I was interested in listening to was Longinus, the African arms dealer. Other than that, Ubisoft played it pretty damn safe with this cast.

"Skyrim with guns"

The rest of the gameplay should be very familiar to anyone who's played a Ubisoft game -- climb a tower, reveal stuff, do stuff. This time there are even more collectibles to find, outposts to liberate, caves to explore, animals to hunt, and skills to purchase. The new side missions are a mixed bag fun-wise (convoys are great, hunting is bleh) and there is an increased emphasis on leaderboards and replayability. The core gameplay is as fun as before, but the amount of hedging on display here is a little unfortunate.

Far Cry 4 is a fun, mostly engaging game. It's just kind of a bummer to see a franchise that had consistently tried to take risks and challenge its audience become so much of a "paint by numbers" affair. While the "ankle-deep ocean" type experience works relatively well here, I find myself wondering how sustainable the Far Cry franchise can really be with only 2 years between games -- the franchise is at a crossroads, and I think the next game will define the future of the series. Here's hoping for something that isn't such a sure thing.