What are you listening to

[Manimal]

Bonnie Pink, Heaven's Kitchen

This is a totally awesome album from singer/songwriter Bonnie Pink. There is a super cool style with lots of variety. It's sort of 90's Indie Pop with Blues Rock elements. Bonnie is a fantastic vocalist, shown clearly on the track "Lie Lie Lie". "Heaven's Kitchen" and "Do You Crash?" are excellent songs. "Melody" has some 60's elements with a wicked bassline. There is some jazz going on in songs like "Hohoemi no Kate" and "Pendulum". A lot of her style is somewhat reminiscent of what Shiina Ringo would later do. Bonnie is multilingual and uses lots of English in a natural sounding manner.

   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DznPcpEblIw

TRF, Lif-E-Motions 

This is some top notch J-Pop Techno/Trance stuff. Life-E-Motions sounds primed to be listened to in a low quality MP3 with cheap earbuds. This album has great Electro sounds and some instantly catchy melodies. I loved the sound right away and songs like "you&me" had me singing along before it ended. "Signal Theta" is a super cool Sci-Fi instrumental. "Life-E-Motions" is such a good song also. I love these kinds of keyboards sooooo much that I just hear them in the beginning of a song and I'm in. There is a Bleach OP 1 Rap Guy who comes in and out during random songs. This is a very enjoyable album, but the last two songs are boring. There are few things I love more than Electro J-Pop like this, it just gets to me. 

   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sskaOxMJ_EA 

TWO-MIX, BPM 132

Famous voice actress Minami Takayama and composer Shiina Nagana formed Electro Pop Techno group TWO-MIX. They are behind three of the greatest anime songs ever made, "JUST COMMUNICATION", "RHYTHM EMOTION" and "LAST IMPRESSION"  from Gundam Wing. The former opens the album. It's completely iconic and just a brilliant song that I love so much. So does the rest of this album live up to that song? Sort of. "Callin' You" is a wonderful gentle song with very warm vocals and "Silent Cruising" is fun. "Callin' You" really connected with me, excellent song! "Drivin' to Paradise" is also very warm, the vocals are maybe even a bit too quiet. I think only about half the album is good, it verges on mediocrity for the last few songs.

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaWGC-HUoNI 

Every Little Thing, Time to Destination

The last one for today's 90's (+ 2006) J-Pop session. This is a fairly decent album but nothing special. The songs are alright and there are a few highlights but overall I have very little to say about it. Every Thing Little are certainly a more average group and this album is the tenth best selling record in Japan. Nothing on here makes me want to hear more from them.

   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTjNxdnQuT0 

OKAY WOW. I just came across Chara and her song "Crazy For You". It's INSANELY good and must of been an inspiration for Seiko Oomori because WOW. The style is so much like Seiko on TOKYO BLACK HOLE but a decade or so before. I must check out the album and others by Chara, I am super impressed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK0RHq__ZRM

[legomaestro]

Damn looks like this year has a lot to offer music wise. I should try out listening to some new albums for sure. My playlist has become way too stale haha .

[NO1SY]

Well, Lego, that's what you have us for! I like to imagine we are the music arm of MR radio; Manimal brings you the rock classics, j-pop/rock, and r&b/pop hits; and I bring you the obscure rock and metal tracks... now all we need is someone to pick up the electronic and radio-rock slack!

That said I think I may have something you may appreciate Lego:
After 10 years, Pendulum have returned with new music! They have released two singles: "Nothing for Free" and "Driver". The former is the "electronica-rock", almost riffy, style with vocals that I love Pendulum for - in the vein of "Propane Nightmares" and "Witchcraft" - while the latter is their full on drum-and-bass fare like "Slam". Listening to these tracks has given me decade old nostalgia, but also made me wonder what Pendulum's place in the modern music scene really is... Their brand of drum-and-bass sound seems to have all but been left behind by the electronic music industry and electronic music listeners alike, in favour of more lo-fi, chilled out tracks. I hope that their slightly alternative niche in the rock scene doesn't feel dated also by the time that they release a new album...

Another band that is giving me nostalgia vibes is Smashing Pumpkins, but more in the "I'm gonna go listen to their old hits" kinda way. They've pre-released just over a quarter of the tracks from their upcoming 20-track album "Cyr" and I just don't know...  Well, one of my mates, who used to be just about the biggest Smashing Pumpkins fan in the world, had this to say: "As with a lot of their new music, it's good, but it's just not the same...". I'm inclined to agree really. The title track "Cyr" is hooky and reminds me a bit of Eurythmics. "Anno Satana" has a kinda R.E.M sound to it. Every song is solid, but I think it just doesn't sound very Smashing Pumpkins to me anymore, not in the same defining way that "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", "Zero", or "Cherub Rock" does...

In a more positive bout of nostalgia, I have been re-listening to James Iha's other music project with A Perfect Circle, thanks to a recent Rick Beato video that went through the music theory of "Weak and Powerless". This song is phenominal, definitely one of the best to come out of the band's earlier work, following "Judith" for example. I must admit, their latest, more accessible, work in 2018 captivated me a lot more often than their previous albums did... there is a lot of weird stuff back there to dig through, but once you do, there are several really awesome tracks to find.

On to some more new stuff: Daniel Tompkins, vocalist of TesseracT and one of my all time favourites, has another solo album coming up this year. His previous solo album last year had been a slightly progressive, mostly electronic endeavour that was fairly soft but very interesting. This new track however, "The Gift" featuring Matt Heafy of Trivium, is anything but soft! It still sees Tompkins showing off his signature vocal control, and brings out the best of Matt's vocals also, but I couldn't help but grin when I found myself headbanging to the breakdowns and layered growls. It's not as groovy as TesseracT, nor thrashy as Trivium, but a super enjoyable half-way point between the two.

More and more I am delving into the melodic side of black metal, and more and more I am finding albums to enjoy. New and noteworthy is a new track "I, Pallbearer" off the upcoming album by Harakiri for the Sky. I'm not exactly sure if this is technically black metal... but it's noisy, distorted, has growls, and has blast beats aplenty so...!? The thing is, through all of the noise and distortion and blasts in this song, a really soaring, uplifting, even beautiful melody has been layered in and cuts through, just elevating the song to new heights. In a lot of ways it's reminiscent of "Sapphire" by Alcest.

Lastly, and unsurprisingly given the state of the world this year, new music has been flowing from Zeal & Ardor. First is "Vigil" - a sombre, moving track. Next is the blistering and furious "Tuskegee". "Trust No One" is doomy and bluesy and maybe the most refined Z&A has ever sounded. And "Wake of a nation" is industrial and hypnotic and dark. Manuel Gagneux displays just how versatile he can be with this project. My only wish is that he would more often find ways to fully fuse all of his influences - Blues, African American Chants, Gospel, and Black Metal - into one coherent sound. Not that I dislike the variety each song brings on his albums, but I think that there is real magic to be found if everything were to be seemlessly melded together in each song as opposed from one song to the next.

[legomaestro]

I'll check these out. I think singles are my go to for now because albums feel a heck of a lot long.

BUT YES PENDULUUUUUM. OH GAWD YES THE NOSTALGIA.

Funny enough I found Twilight to Starlight by Smashing Pumpkins and I finally got why people love them. I know I'm lazy but listening to albums as they were intended to be listened to from start to finish is such an awesome experience. I need to do that more... After I go through some singles.

And damn Wake of a nation. Putting that on now haha.


PS: Yeaup you guys are the resident musicians on the block. OGHM and Paipis have some hot takes too hehe

[Manimal]

L'Arc-en-Ciel, Heavenly

Another cool album! "Still I'm With You" began and I instantly loved it right away. Jangle Pop has disappointed me so much, with most of the bands I've heard being lame and boring. But on this album and True the band was able to bring those kind of guitars into these utterly fantastic J-Rock compositions. Lots of variety and their own style is present. Wow, I love this sound. The production is so clear and fresh, I would not of guessed this album was from 1995. "Vivid Colours" is such A GOOD SONG! Oh my God, it hits so hard! "C'est la Vie" sounds like a Christmas song with it's corny synth bells. "Garasu Dama" is the power ballad which has, just like all the other songs, some wicked basslines going. The guitar solos on this album feel raw and loose. "Shizuka no Umi de" builds up to a powerful Rock song. I really enjoyed this!

   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yLpT3OFJ98 

Chara, Union 

I was utterly floored when I heard the first seconds of "Crazy For You". I thought I was hearing Seiko Oomori but this album came out in 2007! Chara is a very unique vocalist with a wild creative spirit like Shiina Ringo, Mariko Goto and Seiko. Her voice is super strained and dynamic. I can't get over how much Seiko sounds like her, all those inflections like ending a line on a whisper. "Crazy For You" and "Tears" are extremely good songs. This album is full of atmospheric and chill songs. It started stronger than it ended but it was very interesting.

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5S99S61gD4&list=PL4NXUZspQ7Bx_rKK9YMzpY9nymDmdVao7&index=4

[Manimal]

TWO-MIX, BPM 143

First things first, "RHYTHM EMOTION" is the defining song for my 2020, so far. The OP switch late in Gundam Wing will go down as one of my most memorable anime moments. This song is just magnificent, I absolutely love it. That opening sequence is Top 10 all time, both the animation and track come together to create something unforgettable. So that's what I'm going into this album with.

BPM 143 explodes in the first half. This is a heavy duty Techno J-Pop album, it's so dated which makes it greatly enjoyable. Every song feels like you're floating through a vision of a future that never happened. The instrumentals often over power Minami Takayama's soft vocals. "Innocent Dance" has some pretty awful swooshing sound effects during the instrumental breaks but the vocal parts are so damn good you can forgive it. "Eternal Motion" and "I'll Be There" are just amazingly fun. Things slow down in the second half. "Dear My Regret" shows the warm and gentle side of Minami's voice. I prefer this album to BPM 132.

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df4Anfgv81g 

Megumi Hayashibara, Half & Half 

The first album from famous voice actress Megumi Hayashibara is a early 90's J-Pop delight. Megumi singing voice is pleasant and the tracks can be pretty cute like "A Late Comer". There is very solid variety so you won't get bored. "Koi No Scramble Race" is a real jamming track with classic J-Pop slap bass and saxophone action. I really enjoyed the whole thing a lot more than I imagined. Since it's her first album I thought it might not be anything special but every song was solid!

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPGl2JLfAQw 

Ayumi Hamasaki, LOVEppears

If you're into J-Pop you know Ayu but I've never gotten into her aside from a few songs. I did enjoy her most recent release Made In Japan though. LOVEppears is her big album and man...it's pretty good. This is a 1999 dance party with fantastic production. These songs are full of life and very enjoyable. It's paced very well for a 70+ minute listen. It comes off feeling pretty fresh actually. "Boys & Girls" is excellent along with "Fly High" and "Trauma". Ayu's vocals are decent and she handles the jams and ballads very well. I especially like her performance on "too late" with it's very anime song chorus. This is a longer album but well worth it.

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw_cTMqHQ1w 

L'Arc-en-Ciel, Tierra 

The band's second album, this one Rocks a lot harder and has more of an Alt-Rock feel than the following two records. Lots of songs where the guitars coming ripping in for the chorus and in general a moody feeling. "Nemuri Ni Yosete" is a standout with it's change ups in feel from Bossa Nova to solid Rocking. Tierra gets better the longer it goes on. The final song "White Feathers" is long and epic. This is a pretty cool album!

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V5yGjO7_Ek

[NO1SY]

Welp I've been so freakin' busy that I missed posting a music update for last week... In terms of new music, for me, there wasn't too much to talk about really, but bits and pieces worth checking out:

Some new albums:

Sevendust - "Blood & Stone": I'm going to admit, I'm not sure what I think about Sevendust in general really. I think they are very good musicians, and they successfully combine the heaviness and syncopation of Nu Metal with the soaring anthems of radio rock without the cheese. But I just don't seem to gel with the sound that they've landed on with that combo. It just feels one crank away from being heavy enough, and so close to being musically there but just missing the mark for me. Their old songs like "Black" and "Denial" had this grunginess and brutality to them that I don't hear anymore. Even though I think that their sound and musicianship is more refined now, I'm just not into it as much anymore. Also as much as I enjoy when Lajon growls and crunches his vocals, after he featured on the epic "Mob Mentality" by Earthside, it's just hard to not want him to do more prog stuff. (Sevendust are actually quite well liked in the prog sphere for some reason!?)

FEVER 333 - "WRONG GENERATION": Well I give you 3 seconds to work out what this album is about... As on the nose as Jason Aalon Butler is with his lyrics in this project, I cannot deny that FEVER 333 are high energy. I actually quite liked their 2019 album "STRENGTH IN NUMBERS", which was a much more melodic venture despite being just as politically charged as always. But when "BITE BACK" built throughout those first two verses, which reminded me more and more of Letlive's "Fake History", I was getting super excited to hear the rest of this new release. What came after was not quite what I expected... but there was plenty to enjoy: "U WANTED A FIGHT" has a Rage Against the Machine quality to it with it's repeated lyrics; "FOR THE RECORD" is a high octaine punkish explosion; "LAST TIME" is surprisingly sombre and pretty (but WAY TOO SHORT!); "SUPREMACY" is a very cool hip-hop track (for a rock fan who knows nothing about hip-hop...). Not much of a fan of the more rap-centric tracks however. Other than the riff of the "WALK THROUGH FIRE" chorus, I could take or leave those...

Some new Singles (see if you can spot the current musical trend in rock/metal...):

Architects - "Animals": The first single off of their upcoming "For Those That Wish to Exist" is very different to anything Architects have done before. Processed electronics play a large role in this new sound, but, unlike a lot of times, they don't sound misplaced or dis-tasteful. Sam's vocal delivery is less harsh and more melodic than any previous record, but the delivery still sets this moody dark tone. The chuggy riff is super catchy and enjoyable in-and-of itself, and still heavy despite lacking that classic Architects technicality. I'm looking forward to this follow up to 2018's very emotional "Holy Hell", but I hope that they decide to bring along some of the old "Hollow Crown" sounds in this release to go along with the new.

Bring Me The Horizon - "Teardrops": If anyone had told me that I would be listening to and really enjoying post-2013 BMTH I would have called them crazy, but it's 2020 and here we are... This upcoming album "POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR" might just bring me back. This is their heaviest song in 7 years, whilst maintaining a lot of the new melodic sound that has exploded their popularity. To be honest I wasn't much of a fan of their particular Deathcore sound, not until they went more Metalcore in 2010 and again in 2013 with "Sempiternal", save for a few select songs on "Suicide Season". Still it's nice to hear a bit of that bite coming back to their music now. They even have a properly screamed bridge and a full on drum fill!

Atreyu - "Save Us": Following the departure of frontman Alex, I was wondering how Atreyu would sound. Turns out, much the same, although the screams in the verses have reduced to short barks as opposed to actual maintained passages. A sign of the times I suppose. Atreyu's sound has transitioned over the years, along with a lot of other bands (including those in this post), as they have for sure grown as musicians. But it just doesn't grab me like "The Crimson" did back in the day.

Bad Religion - "What Are We Standing For": Well, if I wanted a pillar of solid unwavering musical rock to hold on to as I struggle against the current currents of sonic transitions, I could ask for no better band to provide it than Bad Religion. Just shy of 3 minutes of straight up melodic punk music that's hooky and poetically political and old-school but with a nice new school production polish. I love this band.

As for an Oldschool album:

I have found myself listening to a lot of System of a Down - "Toxicity" recently. What a colossal and defining album. From start to finish this album captures this crazy, unique sound that still feels fresh to me almost 2 decades on. Each and every song is a hit for me, and I jam out on drums to "Chop Suey" and "Toxicity" all the time. And "Aerials"! What a way to end an album.

[Manimal]

Listening to some records & tapes this afternoon.

Ac/Dc, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

Despite it's legendary title track this is not one of the band's best albums. It is their most sleazy and dirty album however, with primitive riffs and "dangerous" lyrics. Bon Scott sings firmly tongue and cheek about sex and causing mayhem. "Ride On" is one of the only songs in Ac/Dc's discography that takes a step back to reflect on Bon's lifestyle. That song is the strongest moment on the record, it's a hangover slow jam that with a genuine tone. The album is very Blues and Rock 'n Roll based, with the shuffle riff appearing on most tracks. Most explicitly on "Rocker" and "There's Gonna Be Some Rockin". 

There are some very questionable lyrics on "Love At First Feel" and "Squealer". "Big Balls" is funny the first time you hear it but that song lost all it's novelty for me. Just like "The Jack". While "Squealer" has an awful title that is repeated a million times at the end of the song, Angus rips his absolute brains out during the extended outro. In general the song structure is poor on this album, leading to 7 minute tracks like "Ain't No Fun (Waiting 'Round To Be A Millionaire)" which go nowhere after the pick-up. Ac/Dc improved dramatically with the following three records. On Highway To Hell producer Mutt Lange was able to reel the band in just enough to keep their Rock 'n Roll energy alive inside stronger song structures. Dirty Deeds is a rougher album with it's own appeal. I enjoy listening to it every now and then.   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlmtJd0dWqo 

Metallica, Kill 'Em All

This is an all time favorite album that I listened to heavily when I was 15. I haven't so much in recent years, opting for Ride The Lightning and Master Of Puppets for my Metallica fix. However Kill 'Em All is always fantastic. It's extremely energetic and shows all the talents of the band from early on. "The Four Horsemen" shows the band's ability to make long epic tracks that go over multiple sections. "Whiplash" and "Hit The Lights" are blisteringly fast Thrash Metal jams. This album even has the massive balls to put a 4 minute bass solo in with "Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)". That's just how great Cliff Burton was. Kirk Hammett plays the most aggressive he ever did to keep up with Dave Mustaine's original leads. Kirk's solo on "Hit The Lights" is insane.

The simpler tracks like "Motorbreath" and "Jump In The Fire" show the band's NWOBHM influences. "No Remorse" has always been a favorite of mine for it's fast pick-up. Over time I've come to view "The Four Horsemen" as the album's finest moment. It's so well put together and kicks ass. James and Lars expanded on Dave's original track and made the perfect Metal song. "Phantom Lord" is great also with James Hetfield giving a cool scream at the end. James' vocals are not in full form here yet, he hadn't developed his big voice at this early point. I listen to the 1988 cassette version for the inclusion of their "Blitzkrieg" and "Am I Evil?" covers. This is how I've always listened to the album and it's simply not complete without "Am I Evil?" at the end. A track that caps it off great while paying tribute to one of their favorite bands. Kill 'Em All is a mess of youthful energy, I love this album for it's power and aggression.   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4nCy5CITc8

Skid Row 

I've always liked this album and it's one I still need to get on record. Skid Row were a very post Guns 'n Roses 80's Rock band. They were heavy and edgier but they also had the "Hair Metal" singles including a Power Ballad. and just like GNR they were done after their first few releases. Sebastian Bach gave the music a lot of energy and attitude. The opening song "Big Guns" is absolutely fantastic and "Sweet Little Sister" kicks it as well. They are fast and Hard Rocking songs with great melodies and riffs. The songs are so catchy on this album that I can look at the titles and remember the choruses without having heard some of these tracks in 5-6 years. "CAN'T STAND THE HEARTACHE! SO BLEEDS THE RED RED ROSE!".

Of course this album has Skid Row's three hits on it. "18 and Life" is good, I may of heard it way too many times but at it's core the song is excellent. "Youth Gone Wild" turns the attitude of the other songs into something more commercial and anthemic. "I Remember You" is our acoustic power ballad. Honestly it's a great song that doesn't feel cheesy or insincere. We also have the bass driven "Piece Of Me" which is really cool. Skid Row's debut is an excellent record. It's true strength are the album songs which are even greater than the singles. On their next album Slave To The Grind they went full on heavy, I love that record as well. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoDB1ZP0Wvc

[NO1SY]

Last weekend I didn't have enough interesting material to share so I decided to sit on it another week... Then BAM! Content!

System of a Down - "Protect the Land / Genocidal Humanoidz": WHAT!? WE ACTUALLY GOT NEW MUSIC FROM SYSTEM OF A DOWN!? Man am I glad that they got over their pay disputes... At least the first of these singles was obviously important enough to them to actually get together again. Funny that I talked about Bad Religion in my last post, because "Protect the Land" is basically exactly what I would have expected of SOAD if they decided to make a Bad Relgion song! It's steady and thumping and anthemic and political, great stuff. Genocidal Humanoidz is a bit more standard high energy SOAD. It has super fun and provocative quickfire vocals, and then, what's this!? BLAST BEATS!? Another great track. Both are a bit darker in tone than what I've heard from SOAD in a while, but I can dig that. One thing I must mention however is Serj Tankian's new vocal style... It's not bad, but it's just not as powerful as his previous efforts.

Lunatic Soul - "Through Shaded Woods": This is just such a super pleasant, evocative, immersive album to me. It is a real testament to how verstaile Mariusz Duda is with his Piccolo Bass. He seamlessly blends and weaves between scandanavian folk and folk rock and industrial electronic sounds to create these wonderfully uplifting, then deeply brooding, then captivatingly energetic tracks, which I could listen to in any mood I am in, from chilled out to wanting to rock out. This album has easily overtaken "Fractured" as my favourite Lunatic Soul record. Stunning.

Killer Be Killed - "Reluctant Hero": What happens if the guitarists and vocalists from Soulfy and The Dillinger Escape Plan, the bassist and vocalist of Mastodon, and the drummer of converge come together and form a supergroup? Pure magic is what! There are familiar sounds from all of the constituant bands here on this record, but then there is some synergy and pushing of comfort zones that pushes this collaboration to more than the sum of its parts. It's heavy, energetic, melodic, punky, thrashy, proggy, and every song is just spectacular! The three vocalists play off one another very well and even cross over into one another's ball parks a bit to really mix things up. They are all fantastic musicians so no suprises that the instrumentals are super enjoyable. I think this can tide me over for another 6 years if that's how long these guys album cycles will be...!

Aeolian - "The Negationist" and Dark Tranquility - "Moment": I'm really on a melodic death metal binge at the moment. I just find these albums really fun. Great guitar music, compared to a lot of the very rhythmic focused music I listen to. And they just make me wanna throw up my horns and headbang! I've been heading back into both these bands' back catalogues and it's super worth it, plus they are leading me to several other bands I enjoy, such as Amon Amarth, Mors Principium Est, Allegaeon and Insomnium.

Machine Head - "My Hands Are Empty": New track from Machine Head, the band that I keep on forgetting that I enjoy for some reason... I don't think their previous album was too well received generally, but there are definitely tracks I like from every release (In particular: "Imperium", "Halo", "The Locust", "Be still and Know", "Catarsis"). This track is up there. As campy as the "Woah"'s are, the atmosphere is actually pretty good and helps carry the melody well. Instrumentally the playing is solid, and the production is better than most Machine Head albums. Looking forward to more.

Dead by April - "Bulletproof": This is hands down the best Dead by April song since "Dreaming". Honestly it's nothing new from them, or even in that whole synth-core scene, but it's amazing what good production can do to properly blend the pop-like clean vocals and synths with the heavy instrumentation. It's still a bit campy, but it just sounds so much better in this track. What's more is that the band sound energetic again! Two albums of near trashy synth-core ballads and hopefully they've now come out of the other side willing to write engaging metal tracks again. Good stuff.

Harakiri For The Sky - "Sing for the Damage We've Done": So you know how I said these guys' last track reminded me of Alcest? Yeah... well they obviously went and featured them on this track! Another beautifully soaring, melodic black(ish) metal track, with much more guitar noodling and riffing and absolutely stunning drum work. I can tell that I am going to love this album when it finally comes out!

EPICA - "Abyss of Time": Yeah I just wanted to remind everyone how good this song is. I listened to the entire studio documentary for this album earlier and it has just swelled my admiration for this band. They are all super talented musicians themselves, but they've gone the distance in making this album: Getting the full Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, and both an Adult and Children's Choir, on this record to perform music that the band themselves have composed and transcribed, to go on top of multitudes of extra instruments, backing vocalists and just the works. This could possibly be this band's magnum opus. I am literally jumping out of my socks to get my ears on this whole album!

[Manimal]

Ooh, Spotify Wrapped is up.



Mine is a bit odd. The Beatles are my top artist because I made a series of hour long mixtapes with Spotify as the source and it counts all the times I flipped through the songs to sequence it. Whenever I listen to the Beatles it's on record but sometimes in my playlists. There was no defining artist for me this year like in prior years. "Z ~ Toki Wo Koete" though, that is absolutely my song of 2020. Oh ya baby. and BiSH's "Super Hero Music", oooh ya.

[Manimal]

KISS, Hot In The Shade

This is one of the finest turds KISS squeezed out in their career. Amazingly they put 15 songs on this album despite the majority of them being unfinished filler. Paul & Gene did a terrible job with the production, they literally put demos on the album. The most disgusting sin they committed on Hot In The Shade was using a drum machine on many tracks when they had a drummer as excellent as Eric Carr. This record almost has a theme, sort of a back to basics Rock 'n Roll thing, but it was done poorly. "Rise To It" opens with a little blues slide thing and it's a serviceable KISS tune. "Hide Your Heart" is an okay single, sort of forced catchy with it's big sing along chorus. The one and only saving grace this junkyard has is "Forever", one of the greatest KISS tracks ever. This is a wonderful ballad and one of the only complete songs present. Michael Bolton wrote it with Paul and it's just a brilliant tune. Bruce Kulick's acoustic solo is beautiful and Eric's drums are very powerful. Without "Forever" there would be no reason to own Hot In The Shade and KISS would of played to half filled arenas on the tour. Thankfully the single saved them and the tour was awesome.

"Silver Spoon" is a good song, a bit weird for KISS but I enjoy it. "Betrayed" is sort of a good Gene Simmons song, better than his other ones here. "You Love Me To Hate You" is so close to being great thanks to the Desmond Child co-write. The chorus is excellent but once again the sound is awful. The pre-chorus is also awful. "Boomerang" is unique in that it's a steaming pile of garbage that is fascinatingly bad. It sucks so much and is so crazy that I kind of like it. "Read My Body" is a grotesque rip off of "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and "Lovin' Every Minute Of It". Truly an embarrassing song, it couldn't be more obvious that it's a copy. "Little Caesar" is Eric's only vocal on a KISS album. Sadly the song is nothing special and his other demos at the time were far better than the majority of this record. "King Of Hearts" is an okay tune.

Hot In The Shade sucks and so many of the songs are forgettable. You listen to them and think "okay this is bad" but then you look at the song title later and can't remember how it goes. "Forever" is the one and only great song here. Thankfully it is amazing and it's my favorite 80's Power Ballad behind W.A.S.P.'s "Forever Free" and Faster Pussycat's "House Of Pain". I never listen to this album aside from times I go through the whole KISS discography as I have been recently. You can almost hear a good record, it just needed between 3-5 songs removed, a proper producer, and re-recordings of the demoes with Eric on the drums. KISS' flawed discography is what makes them interesting.

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_RKO5ozLVo

Ac/Dc, Ballbreaker

Carrying on the trend of albums I don't listen to from bands I love we have Ac/Dc with Ballbreaker. The previous record The Razor's Edge saw the end of the band's creativity. After the brilliant opening songs like "Thunderstruck", "Fire Your Guns" and "Moneytalks" the album dipped into heavy duty filler. Ballbreaker is were the band started to sound boring. When someone says all Ac/Dc songs sound the same I disagree, because the old stuff is quite distinct. But from Ballbreaker on everything is truly the same. Brian Johnson was banned from writing after Blow Up Your Video which is a shame because Angus and Malcolm were awful at lyrics. Thus we get songs like "Hard As A Rock" and "Love Bomb" which are just dreadful. Yes I know it's Ac/Dc but lines like "her hot potatoes will elevate you", "honey bend over, touch your toes" and "let me cover you in oil" are beyond terrible.

Now, let's not get too negative here. There are a few good things to say about this record. Firstly Rick Rubin's production is fantastic. The sound is very clear and direct with excellent separation between Angus and Malcolm's guitars. Phil Rudd's drums sound awesome and it's an overall good album sonically. Maybe a bit dull but I think that has more to do with the songs. Phil was back in the band after 12 years and he slowed them down from how fast they played in the 80's. His groove is unmistakable though and he is vital to the Ac/Dc sound. "Ballbreaker" is such a silly song that I like it. A solid jam. "The Furor" is pretty decent also and "Hail Caesar" is fine. I was kind of rocking out to "Caught With Your Pants Down". This record doesn't get better when you relisten to it. Ballbreaker is a perfectly fine and okay. It doesn't have the spark and excitement that made Ac/Dc a great band.   

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiXpimLAHFA

[Manimal]

B.B. King, Completely Well

Oh my God. So B.B. King, everyone knows he was legendary but I never actually listened to him until now. This album rocked my world, it was an amazing listen. The songs are absolutely jamming, it's so full of life and live energy. B.B. King's guitar playing, jeez! He is just giving it! Remarkably tasteful and dynamic leads. The drums are awesome, especially on "So Excited". "Cryin' Won't Help You Now" sequences into "You're Mean" which is the guitar centerpiece. Two guitars are absolutely battling it out here. You can't sit still listening to this kind of music, it just moves! I was so into it and I loved this record. B.B. King's guitar playing makes you want to learn new things. Listening to him is like uncovering another piece of the Rock guitar puzzle.

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCq8do5APPU 

Bo Diddley, In The Spotlight 

A super fun and loose record that just rocks. Bo Diddley was amazing, he wrote such great songs that have a lot of life and personality. He injects a lot of humour like the song "Signifying Blues" which is nothing but two guys throwing jabs at each other. I loved "Craw-Dad" it was ridiculous and awesome. Bo Diddley was constantly swinging his balls around with songs like "The Story Of Bo Diddley". This guy is so cool. He introduced the most recognizable drum beat of all time, named it after himself and then he made a bunch of songs with his name in the title. This album is good fun, it's recorded low and dirty. You will always have a good time with ol' Bo.

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jcIrM5szus

Diana Ross, Diana

Oh man this album is great! A super well put together Pop record with crisp and clear production. These songs are remarkably crafted and orchestrated. It's a really fun listen and it just grooves! The drums are awesome and the instrumentation is perfect. The whole record is a very positive experience. It was really notable just how good it sounds also. Diana's vocals are great and the songs are catchy. "Tenderness", "Have Fun (Again)" and "My Old Piano" were my favorite songs. The trombone solo in "I'm Coming Out" was truly a masterpiece.

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD-4l9relVw

Humble Pie

Pretty cool Rock 'n Roll record! There are some hard and jamming tracks here and some sudden turns. The opening song "Live With Me" is absolutely amazing and easily the album's greatest moment. It has a slow mysterious opening and then rips it up by the end. They pull a Stones move by going into a country song next. "One Eyed Trouser Snake Rumba" was totally awesome with it's cool riff. "Red Light Mamma, Red Hot!" was a monstrous song. The only issue with that song and much of the album was the lack of hooks. It's an amazing track to put on though because it really rocks the house down. The acoustic tracks are remarkable. "Earth and Water Song" is really good and the intro to "Sucking on the Sweet Vine" is insane! That is such a good song, the guitar on the left channel is just hitting right to the soul! This was a cool record, it stays interesting and delivers some amazing jams.

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyf1-REzosw

Since it's the end of the year I'll list the best New To Me albums I listened to for the first time this year.

Spoiler

#1. Ayumi Hamasaki : Loveppears
#2. The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators
#3. L'Arc-en-Ciel : True
#4. B.B. King : Completely Well
#5. Bo Diddley
#6. Diana Ross : Diana
#7. Nick Drake : Pink Moon
#8. Chara : Union
#9. Donna Summer : Bad Girls
#10. The Doors : LA Woman

[Manimal]

B.B. King, Indianola Mississippi Seeds

Another good album, this one is a big time rain day mood. The songs follow a consistent theme of love and heartbreak and the instrumentation is top notch. Lots of strings and horns when the song calls for it. I love the organic and loose vibe to tracks like "Ain't Gonna Worry My Life Anymore". "Hummingbird" ends the album on an emotional high with the back ground singers coming in to take it all home. It was such a remarkable finale! So much space in the mix and awesome drums. My favorite songs were "Ask Me No Questions" and "Go Underground".


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwly2lQgO8c

Albert King, Born Under A Bad Sign

This compilations album plays out like a greatest hits of blues standards. Every song was solid and classic. "Born Under A Bad Sign" is an awesome opener. "Crosscut Saw" was absolutely insane. The percussion was an overload to the brain, I had no idea what was going on but it was crazy! Albert's guitar playing is crazy good on songs like "Personal Manager". He does the classic blues things of soloing between every vocal line. This was a cool listen but not so many songs stuck out to me.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dag9ZL0gozo

[NO1SY]

So, now that I have gotten the obligatory piece of writing done as my first post for the year, I can move onto what I'm REALLY here for: to talk Music!

It's been a few weeks since my last post here, but, because it was the Holidays, not a lot of new music released in my sphere...

What I have seen is a bunch of Metal cover-songs that I've actually been enjoying a fair amount:

Affiance - "Take On Me" (A-ha cover): You know, I think there are very few vocalists in modern metal who could convincingly cover this song. Luckily Dennis of Affiance is one of them. This is actually a pretty good cover, where the metal instruments don't go overboard and respect the original song a lot. I feel like they were a little more transformative with 2018's "Breaking the Habit" (Linkin Park cover) and 2016's "Africa" (Toto cover), where I very much enjoyed their added creativity, but I think this slightly more reserved cover is very well done too. Affiance were one of the first melodic metalcore bands I got into when I was first exploring metal, and whilst I find their own music a little formulaic now so don't listen quite as much anymore, I still look forward to hearing a new realease soon.

August Burns Red - "Chop Suey" (System Of A Down cover): Now... for a band known for covering Christmas songs during the holiday season (see "Carol of the Bells"), I did not really expect them to do covers of anything else, let alone one of the most renowned Alternative/Nu Metal songson the 2000's. Of course, a cover of such a tune by one of my all time favourite metalcore bands was always going to be awesome. We also see vocalist Jake Luhrs display his new found prowess with clean vocals - something the group dabbled in on their recent album too. I like it a lot, although I hope that they don't move too far in that direction, as it seems the stunning lead guitar work by JB Brubaker tends to take a back seat during those sections for much more formulaic melodic metalcore strumming. They make up for it here in great guitar layering.

Khemmis - "Rainbow in the Dark" (Dio cover): Before 2019, the only Dio song I knew was "Holy Diver", which, well... it's very 80's... I actually like Dio's vocals on it, but considering my first introduction to the song was Killswitch Engage's cover of it, let's just say that the original felt a little anaemic. Then I saw Wynchester open up for Tenacious D, and end with a country cover of "Rainbow in the Dark", I found yet another Dio song existed! I liked their cover a fair bit, but you know me... I listened to the original and thought "pretty good... interesting strings... sounds like the 80s..." and went a-searching. Khemmis are a relatively new find for me. They are like a slightly doomy version of Iron Maiden, a bit like if Pallbearer had soaring lead guitars and vocals. They slow the song down a little, but they just make it sound MASSIVE, and I love it. Plus they get rid of those squeaky strings for awesome guitar tones!

Fleshgod Apocalypse - "Blue (Turns To Red)" (Eiffel 56 cover): For my final cover we step off the edge into the extreme. The orchestral death metal extrodinares take a shot at their fellow Italian's iconic 90's pop hit "Blue (Da Ba Dee)", and oh boy, it sure is something! I actually think that the intro, chorus and post-chorus all work quite well, and the ourto chorus steps it up even more if such a thing is possible. It's very in your face, but the high-speed riffing encompasses the familiar melody expertly, and even the death-growls sound pretty great. I'm just... not a fan of the verses... Look... You didn't here me say this but... the drums are too much in the verses... shhhh ok! The thrash beat is just too loud, too forward and with the bass it is all just too busy. I think the growls could have been cut from the verses also. Give the song some room to breath here, let Veronica do her thing (Her operatics could have been added as extra background layering in the choruses also...), and I think it would have turned out a lot better for it. On another note; Fleshgod Apocalypse - "No": Yes. That is all.

There is one non-cover related band that I wanted to highlight actually. I don't know why it took so long, but I've finally gotten into the Finnish Folk Metal band Korpiklaani, after being recommended the tracks from their upcoming album "Jylha". I don't understand a word of it, but heck if it's not just a really REALLY good time to listen to! What's really cool on this release is that all the singles so far; "Niemi", "Levaluhta", "Sanaton Maa", have sounded quite unique from one another. However, I implore you. Please, please, PLEASE go back and listen to their 2012 track "Ievan Polkka"! I promise you that this is some of the most fun I've had listening to music in a long time.

[Manimal]

Notes on all the albums I listened to today.

KISS : Love Gun. One of my comfort homebase records. This is KISS to me, it has it all. The character, the campiness and the great catchy Hard Rock songs. I love this record, every song is distinct and fits nicely. Even the silly cover of "Then She Kissed Me" works. Ace's guitar solo in "Shock Me" is a legendary moment and it really takes the album to a whole new level for nearly a minute. Classic as it always is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3MZnxJ-lYM

Scorpions : Lovedrive. I actually haven't listened to this album before. It's good Heavy Rock music with a Reggae twist on side 2. A lot of the songs passed be by but "Can't Get Enough" and "Loving You Sunday Morning" are quite good. This record from 1979 shows the beginnings of 80's Metal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXdvCE5T5I8

Seiko Oomori : Kintsugi. Now that I've given the album a few good listens I can say it's solid. Seiko's vocals are rough on a few songs but the melancholy feel of the whole record really works. The album has a few different sections as well. I still am not a fan of "Night On The Planet" however, that is one song I straight up dislike.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1NanWJeZzw

PASSPO : Cinema Trip. This is an absolute joy, the whole thing is just a blast. PASSPO were so good and this album was the perfect one to go out on. Every song is so much fun and the vocals are really solid. There are some really good guitar parts here and there also. I haven't put this album on in a while, it's even better than before!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTKfjYVI8no

SCANDAL : Yellow. This is a record I really liked when it came out and I still like now. SCANDAL went for variety here and they took on a number of genres. The song is very polished and clean and I can't say I like every song. The highlights like "Stamp!", "Love Me Do" and "Suki Suki" are damn good though. A feel good listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNv3_r2o_Co

Nana Kitade : 18eighteen. A good album to put on. There are some great tunes here and other more forgettable ones. I couldn't help but realize how bad some of the guitar solos were on this album! I really like "Kiss or Kiss", "Pureness" and "Hold Heart".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szWk4Ns2iFA

Lorde : Melodrama. Ya, I just love this album a lot. It just clicks with me and tonight it really hit the spot. Lorde's vocals, delivery and lyrics are just fantastic. Every song is excellent and it flows as an entire album so well. This is one of those albums that is always great when the mood strikes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xguIYNjYU1A

Sonic Youth : Goo. Over time I've come to dislike this album a bit. It has a few of my favorite Sonic Youth songs and then some bad ones. A lot of this album is noisy and offputting on purpose without much thought. "Dirty Boots" is brilliant and the big explosive chorus is one of the most cathartic and satisficing musical moments I've ever heard. "Mote" is great, "Titanium Expose" I love and "Tunic (Song For Karen)" is Kim's best offering here. Goo is not a bad album but I don't go to it very often and listening again reminds me why. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XdYnh729IQ

Eagles : One Of These Nights. This is a solid Soft Rock Country album to put on and enjoy the good moods. "Take It To The Limit" is just classic and a song I love dearly. "One Of These Nights" is super 70's in the best way. The album tracks are even good on this one which isn't the case with most Eagles releases. One Of These Nights is just a solid album. Eagles music is comforting to me. When I put on one of their albums in the evening it's just nice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7-8rfGGnd0