Having seen these guys deliver a set of sonic abuse at the recent show supporting Caligula’s Horse at the Thekla in Bristol, it seemed appropriate to have a listen to Data Diamond, the band’s latest release. Live, it was a melding of sound that I struggled with, possibly due to a muddy sound and my position directly in front of the stage.
The first thing to say, is that you just cannot pigeon-hole the band from Reno. Kirk Witt, Dan Mandoki and and Matt Vallarino’s sound is a brutally complex blend of styles, from electronica through to crushing nu-metal and modern metal sounds. Inevitable comparisons would include Devin Townsend meets Tears For Fears, such is the kaleidoscopic soundscape that they paint. Intricate patterns traverse across the entire album, intertwining with rhythmic percussion and obtuse yet dynamic sections. After four songs, we encounter VALLTT, a 1:30 curiosity that provides a bizarre outtake amidst the confusion around it.
Tracks like The Witch and the elongated Cyborg Pt. 3 (Because I’m God) are angular, jarring, yet somehow dive underneath the skin in an infectious manner. It’s not something that I’m a huge fan of, yet the unpredictability of this album is without doubt one of the main attractions. Open The World delves into several different directions at once, with distressed vocals combining with AI generated cyborg style narrative to present something completely different.
A fusion of pop, progressive metal, gothic pop, and electronic vibes that present a challenge from start to finish, their sixth album is perhaps slightly more accessible in some ways. For all that, this is an acquired taste that is certainly not going to appeal to all. Judging by the crowd’s reaction to them at the Thekla though, it’s likely that more will be digging this release now than might have before. 7/10
Octohawk - Determinist (Crime Records) [Joe Guatieri]
Having making a name for themselves previously as Mammuth, Norwegian Progressive Sludge Metal outfit Octohawk bring us their debut studio album Determinist.
The record opens with the seven minute epic that is Arcane Dawn, showing shades of both Sludge and Groove Metal but the track is so much more than that. A rainbow full of ideas are presented here, the bass is full of punch and groove with the drums being tied to their hip, completely locked-in and the guitars are tastefully intertwined with synthesizers. All of this combined with these catchy gruff vocals which sound like Matt Pike if he was a pirate, they just make me want to get up and dance like a mad man.
Going from this into track three, my favourite song on the album which is called Decode. Octohawk feel out of control here with their noisy guitar riffs and an unmatched drum performance which both feel like a car skidding all over the place but then suddenly before the crash happens a bright light shines across your person.
The record opens with the seven minute epic that is Arcane Dawn, showing shades of both Sludge and Groove Metal but the track is so much more than that. A rainbow full of ideas are presented here, the bass is full of punch and groove with the drums being tied to their hip, completely locked-in and the guitars are tastefully intertwined with synthesizers. All of this combined with these catchy gruff vocals which sound like Matt Pike if he was a pirate, they just make me want to get up and dance like a mad man.
Going from this into track three, my favourite song on the album which is called Decode. Octohawk feel out of control here with their noisy guitar riffs and an unmatched drum performance which both feel like a car skidding all over the place but then suddenly before the crash happens a bright light shines across your person.
After all of the unpredictability, the rug is swept away under your feet once more as beautiful sitars sweep over the track, slowly teasing you before they're unleashed by end of Decode and sing loudly over the sparkling guitars. You’ve been ejected from your seat, ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in space. Taking great inspiration from Ufomammut, there is no other way to put it, this song is Space Sludge through and through.
Later in Determinist we have track six, Beyond Tomorrow which presents stylings of Stoner Rock. Their great pace to this number slows down to a walk through the desert within more psychedelic passages. Throughout this number you have these small little seeds of greatness with these off-sounding guitars that do battle in harmony with each other in the background but unfortunately they don’t grow nor explode by the end. It leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth at the thought of what could have been, a major missed opportunity.
Overall, Octohawk have pleased me with some genuinely stellar performances, especially within the first three songs, pounding drums and the type of bass that I always cry out for in a metal album like this, sounding very Les Claypool-esque and show Determinist as its very best, portraying the futuristic vibe of the album artwork very well.
Later in Determinist we have track six, Beyond Tomorrow which presents stylings of Stoner Rock. Their great pace to this number slows down to a walk through the desert within more psychedelic passages. Throughout this number you have these small little seeds of greatness with these off-sounding guitars that do battle in harmony with each other in the background but unfortunately they don’t grow nor explode by the end. It leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth at the thought of what could have been, a major missed opportunity.
Overall, Octohawk have pleased me with some genuinely stellar performances, especially within the first three songs, pounding drums and the type of bass that I always cry out for in a metal album like this, sounding very Les Claypool-esque and show Determinist as its very best, portraying the futuristic vibe of the album artwork very well.
With the highs come the lows, it’s a shame that some songs couldn’t live up to my expectations, much like Beyond Tomorrow, track seven Gateways, refuses to take the ball and run with it. Featuring a choir in the background, it’s just there for show and doesn’t take it any further, they had the chance to scare me there with it, if not wow me again.
Octohawk are a good level but they can go even further, with a lot of potential and so much more to give. 7/10
Broken Lungs - Love Is Temporary And So Are We (Self Released) [Tony Gaskin]
Broken Lungs - Love Is Temporary And So Are We (Self Released) [Tony Gaskin]
Love Is Temporary……. Is the latest offering from hardcore outfit Broken Lungs. A five track EP that opens up with the angst ridden Push Notifications, Pushing Me To The Edge, a fast, beat laden track extolling the unvirtuous nature of social media and perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the EP.
Pity Party has more of a groove to it with a sing-along chorus that will prove a hit at gigs no doubt. The misery continues with Catholic Guilt a dig at secular religion and it’s forced beliefs and morals that can lead to a lifetime of doubt. Scatter The Fragments takes us to even deeper depths of darkness, you get the feeling this slow, short track is trying to come to terms with death.
Finally we have the title track and it goes back to a faster, more anthemic pace. Full of hooks and breakdowns, this is the standout track for me. Again dealing with a tricky subject, trapped in bad relationships. This is not an album to brighten your day, this is a look at how the expectations, peer pressure and the pace of modern life can severely impact our mental health. This is a cry for help from our disaffected youth trapped in a dystopian world.
It doesn't make for easy listening (read the lyrics as well!) but sometimes the really important stuff is difficult to hear and to accept. 8/10
Parchment Farm - Parchment Farm (RidingEasy Records) [Rich Piva]
RidingEasy Records has done it again, unearthing a lost late 60s early 70s classic for all the world to enjoy. This all started with the Brown Acid records, a series of “lost” singles from killer proto/psych/heavy rock bands that were one offs or local heroes or just got lost in the shuffle.
Parchment Farm - Parchment Farm (RidingEasy Records) [Rich Piva]
RidingEasy Records has done it again, unearthing a lost late 60s early 70s classic for all the world to enjoy. This all started with the Brown Acid records, a series of “lost” singles from killer proto/psych/heavy rock bands that were one offs or local heroes or just got lost in the shuffle.
Now, we are getting full records of material from these bands, including this record from Parchment Farm, a combination of five musicians in different combinations from Missouri who produced some great heavy psych tunes that have no business being buried given they are so good. The band lasted for about five years, disbanding in 1973, and with multiple members not with us any longer some of the facts are shrouded in mystery.
What is truth is that these songs are all of high quality, are a bit weird, and sound like an amalgamation of the bands they supposedly opened for: The Velvet Underground (the more rocking songs in the VU catalogue, early ZZ Top, The Amboy Dukes, Brownsville Station and Canned Heat. Throw in a bit of Dead and you get an idea of what Parchment Farm brings to the party.
I mentioned weird, and that is what the ripper Devil’s Film Festival is, with a cool one string riff and a drummer that must be on all sorts of speed. The opening track has a funky riff and feels like a combo of The James Gang and The Yardbirds. Other than access to a wider audience, there is no reason why a song like Midnight Rider could not have been a hit for the band, even if it is a bait dark on the lyrics side for that time. Summer’s Comin’ Soon has a strange guitar sound that also goes in multiple tempo directions and is weird and wonderful. I get Allmans vibes vocally, but with more fuzz rather than a clean guitar sound.
I mentioned weird, and that is what the ripper Devil’s Film Festival is, with a cool one string riff and a drummer that must be on all sorts of speed. The opening track has a funky riff and feels like a combo of The James Gang and The Yardbirds. Other than access to a wider audience, there is no reason why a song like Midnight Rider could not have been a hit for the band, even if it is a bait dark on the lyrics side for that time. Summer’s Comin’ Soon has a strange guitar sound that also goes in multiple tempo directions and is weird and wonderful. I get Allmans vibes vocally, but with more fuzz rather than a clean guitar sound.
Speaking of Weird and wonderful, Blue Skies Comin’ falls into that category, with an almost occult hippie feel to it. I dig the sparce coolness of Friends And Lovers and the nifty bass line from Mind Trip, that gives me some mothers Of Invention vibes and starts the more political side of the band, that culminates in the closer, If I’m Elected I Will Not Serve, which is a slow protest song that shows how deep the band could have gone if they continued.
Another fun record brought back to life by RidingEasy Records that should be in your collection if you want to hear what else was out there besides the big hitters of the time and what bands who were hustling to be heard were doing in the time when rock was still you and being moulded to what it would eventually become. Go get Parchment Farm and all of the other records RidingEasy are gifting us with. Great stuff. 8/10
Another fun record brought back to life by RidingEasy Records that should be in your collection if you want to hear what else was out there besides the big hitters of the time and what bands who were hustling to be heard were doing in the time when rock was still you and being moulded to what it would eventually become. Go get Parchment Farm and all of the other records RidingEasy are gifting us with. Great stuff. 8/10
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