What’s up peeps… Your ole boy Waldo here to review some upcoming releases… squawk!
So supergroup post-whatever outfit Sumac will be releasing their 3rd LP Love In Shadow on Thrill Jockey Records. Calling this band “post-anything” is kind of a stretch, since Sumac basically does what Sumac wants and that is why this band sticks out. So, about the record, huh? Love In Shadow is a four-song effort that clocks in at over an hour. Explaining this is a tough one, as there’s A LOT going on here. This is post rock with elements of noise rock, indie, and classical… well classical in the sense that there are “movements” that tend to come and go and speak to a greater theme. This is part nasty and equally beautiful, expansive and open, but at the same time claustrophobic and constricting. I’m pecking digging this…
8 Fucking Pecks
Tech deathers Revocation are back at it with their 6th record, The Outer Ones, on Metal Blade. There is a fine line here and it’s a tough one for them. When a band puts out that much, the sixth record can make or break them. Fortunately, Revo have something special here. This is a little heavier for the band, and by no means ever dissolves into uncharted territory for them. Present are the tech nods to later-era Death and the shifting time changes they are known for. There is a lot of fancy footwork in the way of instrumentation (duh), but Revo never really leave the listener pondering what just happened. The Outer Ones is just a catchy tech death record and that’s where it really sticks out. There are hooks, and riffs, and solos, each one seems carefully planned but the songs walk their own path on their own. My one gripe is that the production could be a little thicker here, but all in all, it doesn’t detract from the overall sound and feel. Also, a nod to HP Lovecraft… awesome!
7 Fucking Pecks
I usually like stuff on 20 Buck Spin and Scorched’snew one Ecliptic Butchery does not disappoint. This is old-school death, but doesn’t sound like it was recorded 20 years ago. This has blasts, chunked riffs, growled vocals and killer solos. Unlike a lot of things in this “retro death” movement, Scorched stands out as having actual songs, and these songs stick with you. Again, this isn’t some just throwback to the early 90’s. There’s variation here, proving that this is a band to look out for.
7 Fucking Pecks
Well that’s all, folks. I’m going back to ignoring the internet.
