#NowPlaying #ComeToGrief #WhenTheWorldDies
It might not reinvent the wheel but it certainly checks all the right boxes. Sludgy, monolithic riffs juxtaposed to caustic, throat-shredding vocals. We are living in volatile times, and every so often you just have to lean into it.
#TranslationLoss #BestOf #2022 #Lists
#NowPlaying #GreetDeath #NewLow
I normally revile EPs and shun them on my year-end lists but a few this year stood out as worthy of inclusion. This is one. Misery, Nihilism, Contempt. They've never come wrapped in such cute hooks! RIYL the idea of Aidan Moffat (sans accent) backed by Cloakroom.
#DeathWish #BestOf #2022 #lists
#nowplaying #shearwater #greatawakening
The most Rook-ian Meiburg has sounded in years. Those who find this album "plodding" or "frustrating" likely weren't old enough at the time to comprehend just how brilliant the post-Will Sheff era was, from Palo Santo to Animal Joy. Or, maybe their critical touchstones extend only as far as Mark Hollis, so a Kevin-Krebs-meets-Mid-Air-Paul-Buchanan stunner like "Milkweed" is described as filler. Shame.
#JonathanMeiburg #bestof #2022 #list
Insanely accurate portrayal of '70s prog from a San Diego band formed in 2018. Is it original? Nope. Is it good? Quite, yes! Come for the mellotron and Hammond B3, stay for the soft, effusive vocals that elevate a couple tracks. Fans of #kingcrimson and #nektar and #khan will be pleased.
#nowplaying #Saor - Origins
Melodic/atmospheric black metal with some inspiring moments and folksy flourishes (InB4 bagpipes!). Think Scottish folk-inspired metal sounds a bit much? Trust me, it's really catchy.
#SeasonOfMist #blackmetal #bestof #2022 #list
#nowplaying #orenambarchi #shebang
This is not your "Suspension" / "Flypaper" Oren Ambarchi. It is as quiet a tour-de-force as you will encounter this year. A focused groove is embellished upon with impeccable restraint by an ensemble of supremely talented players. It unfurls over 35 minutes, never content to entrench itself in any one genre like, "this is math rock" or "this is jazz" or "this is trance". It just is.