I have been lazy on here. I have actually been writing in a hard journal as appose to a digital one. I will be soon enough posting my tour journal from my band IMBROGLIO's last tour entitled "Enjoy It While It's Dying Tour 2010". The good news is that our new record "Sleep Deprivation" will be available everywhere on January 18th, 2011.
But I have a slew of new writings that I cant wait to share with the worldwide web. No that anyone cares I am sure. But I have been hard at work preparing myself for interviews and zine pieces that our Public Relations person has been setting up for us.
Life has been kind of rough lately coming home to having to move out the night I get home and having a key taken off of my key ring almost immediately as soon as I walked in the door. Plus work still hasn't been in order to where I can make the money that I need to. Including a mobile vehicle still hasn't panned out for me either. Hopefully this all works out soon and I get everything going in the proper order that it needs to be in.
While on the road I was able to actually write these reviews on releases from 2010 that I thought were notable and great. If I seem like I am bashing on some of these bands I am not. I am just being over critical probably.
I am already prepping material for the next IMBROGLIO record. Not sure what I will title this one next or I might have the other guys name it. But I have a very good idea of how the next will go. But I know I still have to keep playing "Sleep Deprivation" material at least until mid 2011. Then it will be back to the writing factory with the rest of the band.
I have been enjoying my life though with my amazing companion. She really brings the light out of the grey clouds and melts away all the bull shit life can throw at me but also can keep me in check at the same time. So I cant complain.
Other than all of this I am still focusing on body building and getting myself in good shape. I felt like I was in great shape this last tour but I still found myself getting really tired during our sets and sometimes unable to move. But I think more cardio will do the trick.
Instead of rambling on here are the records I have reviewed. Check out every record they are all great efforts and deserve a listen.
Music Reviews....
Clinging To The Trees Of A Forest Fire "Songs of Ill Hope and Desperation" - Here is a band that I have loved since day one of hearing them in the grind/sludge realm of music. This monster of a third record is just apocalyptic. There music delivers everything that one could like in both genres I have mentioned and MORE. Hands down one of the most devastating sounds I have heard in sound-production of record in a long time. I am going all the way back to Pig Destroyer's "Prowler in the Yard". This band's songwriting skill is impeccable and so ridiculous that it makes you get goose bumps when you listen to this record. I haven't been this impressed and in awe in a very long time from a band. They are going places and taking names. I can't wait to see where these guys are at in the next 5 years. Rating: 9.5/10
Cowards "Demo 2010" - This band featuring members of Architect and Imbroglio. This is a powerhouse of raw heaviness. Live it is the heaviest thing I have ever witnessed. These guys make a lot of bands look bad who try to do the sludge meets hardcore really bad. They blow the Abominable Iron Sloth out of the water. They are the best thing since Iron Monkey in my opinion. T.J. Calandra is the head of the string group with a drop tuned guitar all the way to G flat blending tunings that only Led Zeppelin would be brave enough to try. Rounding out the heaviness you have Devon Robillard on bass with the crushing spaghetti bass tone. Then you have Nick Shelton on drums, who brings a very punishing cave man style of drumming that blends really well with this kind of style of music. Collin Major who is full of rage aimed at the current state of society with sing along's such as "Get your ass out of line, and get your ass back to work." that just screams this band is a bit more grumpy than the next who try to execute being "pissed off". I can't wait to hear more in the future. Rating: 9/10
Deftones "Diamond Eyes" - So I reviewed the single "Rocket Skates". That was only a tiny glimpse of this tyrant of a record that has literally went beyond any of my expectations. The opening track "Diamond Eyes" is the heaviest song that these gentlemen have ever wrote. It is almost hardcore - sludge in certain sections. But the Deftones also take a step back on this record to almost "White Pony" days accept with 8 string guitars and more screaming. With Chi being gone, Serjio definitely stepped up the plate and did a great job on adding his own flavor of bass to this recording just like Chi would have, not much but not to little. With better quality sound effects-scapes the band has created a way more violent but also peaceful atmosphere with this record. My favorite track on the record is "You've seen the Butcher" it's a stoner sludge - well written song. It's also a sound that Deftones never dipped there feet into and they dominated that sound and made it there own. For me as a listener there is no filler on this record like there previous ones with down tempo songs or just bass and drum samples. This record is the best release of 2010. Record of the year. Yes I said it. Rating 10/10
Hero Destroyed "Thoes" - There are a lot of bands now that there vocalist feel that there isn't enough Sean Ingrams in music. So they have to completely impersonate him to the point where you believe it's his new band when you hear it. But if you can look past that then you will definitely like this bands debut on Relapse Records. The musicianship is there. The song writing is there. But the quality isn't that good for the sound they are going for. I really like these guys don't get me wrong but I wish they would step off Botch, Bloodlet, and Coalesce kicks a little bit. I am sure they deliver live and that they are none the less punishing but the record cant be a live representation of them. Regardless this IS a good record and it's one of the better band Relapse has recently signed. Rating 7/10
Korn "III Remember Who You Are" - I have been a fan of Korn since 1996 when I was actually allowed to listen to them. Well I was never allowed around my Mom but my cousin would always blast "Life is Peachy". I have loved-liked everything they have done accept for a handful of songs which are terrible representation of what this band really is. Back to the current album at hand.....These boys are back minus Head, and David of course. But Ross Robinson who produced there first two records Self-Titled(1994), and Life is Peachy(1996) has whipped these men back into shape. Making them take the painful routes of digging into them one last time. But the record opens up with an intro entitled "Uber Time" which the record could have gone with out in my opinion it captured nothing but something comical and way less serious than what this record is. But then the intro leads into "Oildale" which is the best Korn song since "Somebody Someone" off of "Issues" in my opinion. Then you have great songs all the way leading up to "Fear is the place to live"....I hate this song. I could have done with out this song. It's worse than "Twisted Transistor" in my opinion. It's just Jonathan wining about the music business and etc. But the rest of the record is awesome to no end. But having a bad intro and one bad song I must take a point away. But Ross brought the musical aspect back to an amazing punishing riffing goliath of a record. Munky stepped up and showed Head how to write a riff that is for sure. Fieldy's tone is back with the "Clickety Click" in the mix which is so awesome and percussive. There new drummer Ray is nothing less than amazing and if they ever got David back it would be a disappointment because there is no way David can keep up with Ray. To say the least they are back to there roots but yet have reinvented themselves to a degree that no one can really fuck with. Rating: 8.5/10
Salome "Terminal" - After listening to this band for over a year and half now I have grown quite the liking to them. The band is a 3 piece featuring Kat fame of Agoraphobic Nosebleed. Kat's vocals are sheering and violent that bleed with anxiety, and rage. But the only thing is, is that there is barely any dynamics in the overall sound. Then again this is just straight sludge and maybe I should be a little less picky but there older records "Self Titled" and there split with Thou were very well mixed which brought dynamics to the table. Great record with sludge / doom combinations. Rating: 7.5/10
The Abominable Iron Sloth "The I/D Will Overcome" - This band was one of my favorites for a long time. But there new record is awesome but they took on a new production that didn't do them as much justice as there first debut. The vocal delivery is awesome and the guitar work is definitely showing that the guys from Will Haven are no longer in the band. Andre from Blowupnihilist is playing drums for Justin on this record and he does a decent job but you can tell the drums are simple for a reason. But that's not a bad thing especially when your a band who mimics Eyehategod, and Iron Monkey in a lot of ways. The song "Heterodox Nonconformists" isn't even a song it's a long drawn out feedback track that seaway's to the final track of the record. The filler track doesn't do the record justice besides that it takes up time, and makes you wish you could be given that time back of life. But this bands second effort is really good regardless. To bad they announced they have now disbanded or gone on a hiatus. But it's good to have more music from this group rather than listening to there debut "Self - Titled" on repeat all the time. Rating: 6.5/10
The Red Chord "Fed Through The Teeth Machine" - Here is a band that has never disappointed me. There musicianship is on another than most bands it just blew everything out of the water in technical metalcore. These gentlemen have brought shred a whole new meaning to music again for me. But in good song writing. Not in a prog or mathy way either like throw away riffs that all these want be prodigy's are trying to do by ripping off every Psyopus record. Nothing against Psyopus but it's just Chris Arpman showing off on a guitar with a bunch of hired hands. Back the better subject at hand. Guy delivers a his normal overpowering voice to this record way more pissed than before and brings a lot of vocalist to shame. The drum work just makes my jaw drop every time this record hits my ears. This band has always raised the bar in extreme metal. They have gone and done it again for sure. Rating: 9/10
I am sure I will come up with more later but this is it for now. Be sure to leave feedback if you agree or disagree.
Until Next Time,
-the Black Hearted Outlaw
