Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

Band/artist - Dead Kennedys
Genre(s) - Punk
Origin - United States of America
Album - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Year of release - 1980

I don't know much about punk but I do know that this album kills. It is about the only pure, old-school punk album that I fully enjoy. Why? Maybe it's the shitload of much-too-awesome-for-punk riffs, maybe it's the hilarious but merciless social commentary (yes, I do like social commentary) that constuitute the lyrics, maybe it's Jello's demented air-raid alarm of a voice. But what really sets the Kennedys' debut apart from its peers is that Fresh Fruit consists of relatively well-crafted songs with a large amount of melody. This is what makes tracks like Kill the Poor, Chemical Warfare, California über Alles, and Holiday in Cambodia so rememberable. I can imagine this hit the punk scene with the impact and accuracy of a cruise missile back in 1980, and they weren't even wearing footlong mohawks.

1. Kill the poor
2. Forward to death
3. When ya get drafted
4. Let's lynch the landlord
5. Drug me
6. Your emotions
7. Chemical Warfare
8. California über alles
9. I kill children
10. Stealing people's mail
11. Funland at the beach
12. Ill in the head
13. Holiday in Cambodia
14. Viva Las Vegas
    

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The Sisters of Mercy - First and Last and Always

Band/artist - The Sisters of Mercy
Genre(s) - Gothic rock
Origin - United Kingdom
Album - First and Last and Always
Year of release - 1985

The eighties have never been my favourite musical decade, and they never will be. Simplicstic, horridly fake-sounding drum patterns, utterly static song structures, plastic keyboard ditties and a rotten attitude spoil things for me quickly. Music for/by the instant gratification generation. Every once in a while, however, a good artist from those times pops up, demanding the credit it's due. I guess this must be having its effect on me: I no longer even cringe when Toto comes up on the classic rock station. But back to the album at hand. The title is trying to confuse me but First and Last and Always is definitely the Sisters' first album, not their last. It doesn't have the band's mindblowing anthem This Corrosion but as an album it holds together better than Floodlands which has a lot of boring moments. Something I can't explain is how the Sisters of Mercy incorporate all the negative traits of 80s rock but somehow manage to create a blend of them that transcends its faults. The melodies are strong, it's both dark and catchy, and Andrew's vocals are compelling. I could listen to this all day long.

1. Black planet
2. Walk away
3. No time to cry
4. A rock and a hard place
5. Marian
6. First and last and always
7. Possession
8. Nine while nine
9. Amphetamine logic
10. Some kind of stranger
    

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De Hardheid - De nodige hardheid

Band/artist - De Hardheid
Genre(s) - Ska, ska-punk
Origin - Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Album - De Nodige Hardheid
Year of release - 2003

Something fun from the mother soil. De Hardheid (The Hardness) are a ska(-punk) band from the god-awful city of Amsterdam. This isn't their fault so let's not attack them on it. They're not quite as awesome as Ska-P but that's no fair comparison anyway; as an individual band they're plenty awesome. Sing their lyrics in their native tongue as well, look at society with a critical eye, etc. The difference is that with De Hardheid, this translates into wry, cynical satire on modern-day western society, instead of purely political statements. To me the lyrics are the most entertaining aspect of De Nodige Hardheid (The Necessary Hardness). Personally I think our language is both illogical and blunt, but the band has a lot of dark, biting humour. The Track 't Vrouwtje for instance is about a housewife whose husband never wants to have secks anymore because he just wants to drink beer and watch tv, so she cuts off his penis and balls in revenge. Nice! Every other song on the album is about being lazy, drinking beer or things and people that are annoying. The ska is, well, ska-like. With a bit of punk-like punk sprinkled here and there. There are some more mediocre songs, and even those got as nice a groove as any ska is supposed to have, but I can't help but compare them to Ska-P, which they just can't match even at their best moments. It's unfair, they deserve a more objective reviewer.

1. Snooze (as in the alarmclock function)
   
2. 15 piek (15 quid/bucks)
   
3. Oh nee (Oh no)
4. Luie reet (Lazy ass)
   
5. Beste vriend (Best friend)
6. Klootzak (Asshole)
   
7. Frisdrank (Fizzy drinks)
   
8. Bekhouwe (STFU)
   
9. 't Vrouwtje (The wifey)
   
10. Buurman (Guy next door)
    
11. Kutmuziek (Shitty music - lit. "cunt music" ^_^)
    

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Reclaiming the Instaweb.

Oh fucking hell yes. I finally have a connection to thee internet again from my own place so I'll be able to share music more often than just a couple albums every one or two weekends. There's still a lot of stuff I want you all to hear so I should get to it right away. However, it's rarely been as busy as the last few weeks so don't think too much of it, an album a day like I used to do would not be realistic. But it's a start, right?

Knutna Nävar - De Svarta Listornas Folk

Band/artist - Knutna Nävar
Genre(s) - Folk
Origin - Sweden
Album - De Svarta Listornas Folk
Year of release - 1973

I've uploaded plenty of actively leftist music on here but so far this one just takes the cake. Knutna Nävar (meaning clenched fist) are a seventies folk band with strong ties to the Kommunistiska Partiet Marxisterna-Leninisterna, Sweden's Stalinist party of those times. Strange how it took the fall of the Berlin wall for most who called themselves communists to figure out that Stalin, Mao and their respective legacies maybe just weren't all that socialist and that the Eastern Bloc was not quite a worker's paradise. This disk, the title meaning something like blacklisted folk, is full of 100% pure acoustic propaganda music, and is quite inspiring to listen to considering its revolutionary appeal. And some of the tracks are just pretty good - especially the title track, I Alla Länder (adapted from Bella Ciao), Arbetarbröder (adapted from Ernst Busch's Der Heimliche Aufmarsch, which I plan to upload in due time as well), and Strejken på Arendal. It also shows the spirit of the times and, to be frank, the lack of criticism within the leftist circles to their own accomplishments or lack thereof. I listen to this one a lot: it's simply a very fun glorification of bureaucratic state capitalism hiding behind a socialist façade, but also warms my heart with the flame of revolution. Arbetarbrödar, vi måsta skapa et Kommunistiskt Parti!

1. De svarta listornas folk (Blacklisted folk)
   
2. Hundra procent (A hundred percent)
   
3. Greppet hårdnar (Reach higher?)
   
4. Strejken på Arendal (On strike for(?) Arendal)
   
5. Hör maskinerens sång (Hear the song of the machines)
   
6. I alla länder (In all the countries)
   
7. Ho Chi Minh
   
8. Ut till fronten (On to the front)
   
9. Sången om Stalin (Song about Stalin)
   
10. En arbetarkvinnas sång till sin son (A worker woman sings for her son)
    
11. Arbetarbröder (Worker brothers)
    

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Elvenking - Heathenreel

Band/artist - Elvenking
Genre(s) - Power metal
Origin - Italy
Album - Heathenreel
Year of release - 2001

The most good-natured style of metal has always been power metal, but most bands try to disguise their fun factor as epicness or heroism. Elvenking is not one of those bands, singing about dancing more than about fighting, and playing sprightly music that at times only reminds of metal because of the pace and instrumentation. Especially the vocals are exuberant and truly Elflike - i.e. a bit androgynous, but this fits just right, and this mr. Damnagoras is a very good singer. Heathenreel breathes a fresh, invigorating wind through a tired genre ridden with clichés by the inclusion of minor folk (metal) influences, lending the album a festive, foresty sound of its own. Simply said, the music sounds like everything the band name, album title and artwork remind you of. In large doses it can all get a bit tiring on the ears due to the insistent gaiety and the many twists and turns that the compositions take. But this is mitigated somewhat by enough variety and some great melodies. It has happened, however, that I could not get to sleep because I still had passages of this album stuck in my head.

1. To oak woods bestowed
2. Pagan purity
3. The dweller of Rhyms
4. The regality dance
5. White willow
6. Skywards
7. Oakenshield
8. Hobs an' feathers
9. Conjuring of the 14th
10. A dreadful strain
11. Seasonspeech
    

Look, the moon is dancing too!

Monarque - Fier Hérétique

Band/artist - Monarque
Genre(s) - black metal
Origin - Québec, Canada
Album - Fier Hérétique
Year of release - 2007

Some nice Québécois black metal in the vein of their homeland's tradition (Akitsa, Forteresse...): raw yet atmospheric, and I figure as ethnocentric as the rest of 'em. I wonder if the desire for independence from the rest of Canada is as strong as the presence of so many nationalist Francophone bands suggests (in Maple Syrup country, separatism seems to have strong, unhealthy links with far-right traditionalism - I blame the poutine). Back to the music, it is hardly spectacular and it doesn't redefine black metal in any way but tracks like Le Vent du Nord and Marches Funèbres breathe a wonderful sense of nostalgic pride. Another point of praise concerns how the music fills your entire cranial cavity, an ability usually reserved for the better bands in the genre.

1. Intro - Ces charognes éparses (These scattered corpses)
   
2. Fier hérétique (Heretic pride)
3. Le vent du nord (The north wind)
   
4. Passage dans la vallée (Entrance into the valley)
5. Extinction
6. Marches Funèbres (Funeral marches)
7. Outro - Isolation
   

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Triarii - Ars Militaria

Band/artist - Triarii
Genre(s) - Martial ambient, neoclassical
Origin - Germany
Album - Ars Militaria
Year of release - 2005

When I first heard of the genre called martial ambient/industrial and military pop I was fascinated by the concept and the bands' images. Most of the bands couldn't really interest me, however; I had hoped for something a bit more romantic and less industrial than most projects within the genre proved to be. Triarii is one of the exceptions: with its focus on ominous, bombastic neoclassical arrangements set to slow, heavy percussion and snare-roll marches it's just as apocalyptic as I imagined the whole genre to be. Listening to Sun, Serpent & the World Ending, the most devastating track on the album, or the proud, nostalgic Son of the Sun you can just visualize the legions marching by.

1. Anthem from the iron flame
2. Europe in flames
3. Mother of pain
4. Dark skies over Europe
5. Der verwundete
6. Legio Vi Ferrata
7. Regicide II
8. Marche du capitulation
9. Neuropa
10. Serpent, sun & the world ending
11. For the fallen ones
12. Son of the sun
    

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Lunar Aurora - Of Stargates and Bloodstained Celestial Spheres

Band/artist - Lunar Aurora
Genre(s) - Black metal
Origin - Germany (Rosenheim, Bayern)
Album - Of Stargates and Bloodstained Celestial Spheres
Year of release - 1999

Though Andacht is of course their crowning work, when I decided to post some more material of my very favourite black metal band I wanted to bring a less well-known album to your collective attention. Of Stagates... is the third out of eight albums of Lunar Aurora, released in 1999, and it is clear that the band had not found their trademark sound just yet: it's not as immersive, haunting or intense as their later music would be and sounds comparatively "regular", but all the rudiments are already there. Together with its follow-up Ars Moriendi, I think this release is somewhat of a transitional phase in the bands career, moving away from the Emperor-emulating symphonic sound of their first albums, towards the more subtle, eerie atmospherics they are now known for. Comparing this to later work I may not have made it sound so attractive, but trust me, this is a mighty fine album.

1. Kampfork (Battle-orc)
   
2. Schwarzer Engel (Black angel)
   
3. Die quelle im Wald (The well in the forest)
   
4. Blutbaum (Blood tree)
   
5. Moorleiche (Bog body)
   
6. Drachenfeuer (Dragonfire)
   
7. Gebigsmystizismus (Mountainous mysticism)
   
8. Verwesung (Decay)
   
9. Weltengänger (Travellers of worlds)
   
10. Child of the apocalypse
    
11. Der leidensweg (The path of suffering)
    
12. Sternenblut (Starblood)
    
13. Something has died forever...
    

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Eine Welt zu gewinnen

Okay, I've finally been able to post some stuff again from my parents' place. Funny thing is, at my own place I have had about ten albums lined up to be uploaded to mediafire for weeks now, but my internet there is still dead - in fact, I think I made it even worse. :( I think it may be due to the fact that the previous tenant of my room was still paying for the tv and internet connection, but I'm not sure.

I'll try to have it fixed in time to post a few of them albums, because in two weeks (maybe even just one) I'll again be housed far, far away (Brabant is a whole different province, you know) for more digging at another excavation, this time for four or five weeks. No instaweb, except maybe in the weekends. It's a tad sucky having to spend your whole summer holiday working and doing unpaid work experience full-time.

I'm still thinking about something I might try after posting those albums, namely making mixtape-like compilations of only the awesomest songs that I know. It would be a bit fairer to the artists involved, but I would miss writing those little album reviews. Let me know what you would prefer.

Cheers,

Bart / Charles D.

The Changelings - Amphibian

Band/artist - The Changelings
Genre(s) - Ethereal, neoclassical
Origin - United States of America (Atlanta, Georgia)
Album - Amphibian
Year of release - 1998

Here we have something unique and beautiful. The Changelings are a rather obscure ethereal band who have remained largely unsigned - i.e. you might call it über-indie - but managed to release four awesome full-lengths by themselves. I think it may not be quite everybody's cup of tea as this is in many ways stranger and less accessible than most other ethereal. It is driven by drums and percussion, violin and a myriad of unusual, antique and Eastern instruments including hammered dulcimer, musical saw, sitar and a toy accordeon(?). Regeana's voice and some of the electronic effects over the music, like on Maelcum's Rigteous Dub may also take some time to get used to but make the distant, drifting atmosphere complete. This is great music to accompany you on stoned nocturnal wanderings around town. Favourite songs of mine are Port Royale, a pirate song, Frog Song with its whirling melodies and the beautiful Oceana. http://www.changelings.com

1. Deeper than light
2. Melusine
3. Mealcum's rigteous dub
4. Caterwaul
5. Another dead girl
6. Frog song
7. Afternoon of a newt (crap. I don't have this track :/)
   
8. Port Royale
9. Carpathian lullaby
10. Oceana (the mermaid song)
11. Morning's twilight
    

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Aluk Todolo - Aluk Todolo

Band/artist - Aluk Todolo
Genre(s) - Occult/psychedelic rock
Origin - France
Album - Aluk Todolo EP
Year of release - 2006

Now I know I described this as psychedelic rock, but if you're expecting something along the lines of Pink Floyd or the Grateful Dead, you're in for a big shock. Aluk Todolo builds from a format of improvised droning (post-)rock to create a delirious, pounding haze of sound with such a cold and ritual undertone that it might as well have wafted hither from Lovecraftian realms of diabolical cults and unspeakable ceremonies, etc. etc. Point is, this brings to mind a procession of flagellants, skin in bloody tatters, mouth foaming in ecstatic worship, rather than an acid-fueled foray into space. Be warned.

1. Side A
2. Side B
   

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