Morning Motivational Devotional:

         Eclectic people exist but in dwindling numbers...

Oliver Tree - Love You Madly Hate You Badly

 

The first half of this record is a conversation with a not so distant ex lover, but the second half seems to be a plea for ones sanity and self resilience. Lyrically I think Oliver Tree was finding sure footing for his own voice in this effort. The musical styling seemed to be more involved and thought out, as his vocal melody seemed to play and weave in and out of the instrumental EDM a little more. Definitely a male vocal pop stand out. "Superhero" is a stand out track on this outing, as well as "Joyride". Following his entire existing catalog I'd suggest this as his most complete thought, mostly dealing with what seems like a failed relationship. As an underrated artist on Atlantic/R&S he started his own imprint "Alien Boy" which I guess is now defunct due to his unfortunate demise in a helicopter accident in Recreio dos Bandeirantes. This album did garner lots of attention because of his performances at key festivals and an ep of a Radiohead cover. One of their best singles in my opinion. If you have time you should check that out also.

Be aware this alum is for mature audiences and does reflect mentally ill thoughts and phrases with an emotional background in toxic relationships. It is a great album, though. I hope one day we will get a physical copy, until then you can buy digital and listen the same way.

Draculas - Midnight City:

 

This band and album could be the best thing to come out of texas since the original Power Trip lineup (ignore the new stuff). A dance craze for all of the kids, and lyrics to hook adults, this album is definitely a contender for "album of the year". Easily more melodic than anything else out now, the band showcases a lyrical prowess unseen out in texas. A bit protopunk, a bit garage, a bit new wave come together to birth their greatest effort yet. Three deep (albums or fingers, who knows) and they have their signature sound in my opinion. Dirtnap ought to be glad they came back, because this record is a killer. By track 3 "Head In The Clouds" you won't know which end is up. "Guys Like Me, Girls Like You" to the slower closer "Wheelhouse" is just a blur of sonic synthesizer savory sex silt. This album really does go down easy, no chaser. There's some Riverboat Gamblers, some Rise Against, and some major art growing in Savage Lord Mic, Sam Francisco, and Pink Rick... All of which come together for an out of this world proper banger. Do yourself a favor and buy the digital at dirtnap or pay EU prices from Wildhoney. Maybe you can find it in the wild. Ten years in the making, don't let it pass you by...

Buy

Vinyl

Getatchew Mekuria And His Saxophone- 1972:

 

If you like instrumental jazz or world folk than this is a great find for you. Lots of entries for these categories can be found butthis Ethiopian entrée is always spinning on my record player. Subtle undertones of African cultural melodies throughout, as it is just saxophone backed by rhythm piano. Re-issued in 2021 the sound quality is still there. Very trance like in melody and rhythm, and very soulful. Gofere/antchi hoyè is the longest and best track in my humble opinion. 

Buy

Home Front Watch It Die:

 If you're a fan of hard-core punk or new wave this is a modern addition for both. Social commentary of modern international chaos and solid instrumentation for a new generation of fans, this is fairly straightforward. It's a little more relatable than their last record, but packs a very hard punch. Some of the lyrics in this outing are very interesting and important especially on an american level. "Dancing With Anxiety" is a standout point as is "Eulogy" as far as an example of thier sound. So many anthemic tracks on this, as chanting hooks and vocals are normal for this band. Terrific for fans of Singalong melody and rhythm. Lots of fun, even if the lyrics are poignant and pointed. 

Listen & Buy

Humankind - Monsoon Season:

 

If you've heard "Big Dawgs" you will understand "Monsoon Season". From the instrumentation to the lyricism, if you're a modern rap fan, this record is probably for you. 

A little screw music dripping on "Big Dawgs" leads into a pretty good experience for the rest of the trip. From the amazing amount of features on this mixtape, to the amazing sound crafted in general, this record flows with tenicity and anecdotal rhyme. Beyond all of the bells and whistles this album has, it also demonstrates a valid point: Humankind is likely here to stay if he wants to. Easily a ten star improvement over their first ep "Surface Level" which was also pretty good. Having Maxo Kream, and Denzel Curry never hurts anyone's probability in my opinion. The remix of his lead single is pretty outrageous and sick as well. Hit it up or be behind the vehicle that is Humankind. If you enjoy a soundtrack to hyperf focus related activity this album is for you. 

Listen

Sacrifice

 With the recent discussion of Big Four the canadian version, I figured we need to discuss this band. Their career is long and storied but this album is as thrash as thrash gets and equally as hard as anything from the US of A. From the opening number of Comatose to my favorite track Black Hashish,  the album as a whole works. Rob Urbinati shows up as always for this record, delivering his harsh crisp vocals as instantly recognizable Sacrifice. 

That being said, there are lots of elements here that span other genres. Personally,  it's what I look for in a thrash album, and this one delivers. Under no circumstance is this record anything other than pit worthy, but, it also showcases true growth and a chip in the game of thrash to argue for Canada being successor to the thrown. 

Joe Rico and Urbinati play off of each other in a winning combo with Pym and Watts bringing up the rhythm to match ferocity and pit worthy sonic violence. Hitting that progressive sound as well, all things considered you're missing out if you dont buckle down and listen in. A year old already this release is here to stay and cemented in the history of hard music forever. 

Buy

Peeling Flesh:

 

If you've never experienced the Oklahoma metal scene, or slam death metal, you're in for a treat. "Slamming Gangster Groove" as they themselves reference this music is full of rap samples,  blaxploitation samples, and hard-core grooves. From Damonteal Harris' growling vocals, to Jason Parrish & Mychal Soto's chugging guitars the sound is uniquely metallic.  Coupled with Joe Pelletier's rhythm section Austin Hirom (replaced by Chip Smith) had the bass answer. While gore, murder, and thuggery aren't for everyone, if you like metal in general this should be a no brainer.  Three years in, this album finds the band sitting on a throne all but there's in southern metal. OKC produced a maven of excitement and hopefully everyone buys it up. Already announced on the "Louder Than Life" festival in Kentucky, it may result in much needed national exposure. After 11 mistakes and this album they deserve it. Keep your ears peeled for more from them. 

Buy

Habak:

 

If you've never heard the term "Crust Melodico" you're probably behind in the times, and not alone. With a DIY ethos and a vibrant sound, this band "Habak" from Tijuana Mexico is for you. Although a language barrier may exist between listeners and lyrics, we as a world should start overcoming that, these days. From a crust (sub-genre of punk) sound with heavy melody, to some clean instrumentation this band is to be taken very seriously. A very mature, even grave lyric subject may be intense for some listeners, I do urge anyone to give it a try (internet translation is easy to find today) because you never know what your missing. 

The title track to this record is very good, and very resounding. Time enough to feel how you feel these days, enough said. I have to say the subject matter of "Condenadx Al Olvido" makes that track my favorite. From rhythm to melody, after the mesmerizing intro. But, I'll let you be the judge:

Condenadx Al Olvido

I see in my hands the passage of time—the marks left by the immortal monster.

Written upon my path is my destiny: to bear witness to humanity.

Time and space conspire against a being condemned to solitude.

We are tellers of a thousand tales—stories that time will soon erase; only man truly knows man, yet at the end of his era, not even he will remain.

Time and space conspire against a being condemned to solitude.

We are nothing...

Only man truly knows man. A being condemned to solitude.

Rivers Of Nihil:

  

If you dont know this album by sight (Dan Seagrave art), you may not know about this band. Constantly morphing from one sound to the next, with an ever changing landscape of musicians Rivers Of Nihil is here to stay. In my opinion, this album is the reason why they are cemented. The future and present of technical death metal, this album is a definition of sound. The lead single "Where Owls Know My Name" is more progressive in that arena with instrumentation not heard as often in technical landscapes. Zach Strouse from "Burial In The Sky" provides that sax. Brody Uttley is the driving force behind this album (and possibly the band) and the journey he steers is mesmerizing. 

Jake Dieffenbach's last outting with them brings ferocity unequaled in the following releases, some say. Though I tend to disagree. The trilogy on this record are definitely "Hollow", "Death Is Real", & " Where Owls Know My Name". I'll leave you with their description of it:

"Owls is essentially the story of the last man on earth. He was made immortal by the planet itself (the conscious seed of light, as it were) to be the sole intelligent witness of the death of the planet. Really though this is all set dressing for the more emotional content on display here, so looking too closely at the lyrics for story purposes is probably a bit of a futile effort in my opinion. It's really just about loss and getting older and coping with the things you've done in your life."

Buy it: