What are you listening to right now?

[TheMix]

Nice.
Reminded me of

[AWS260]

[hepcat]

The latest episode of What We Do in the Shadows has introduced me to The Silent Companions.

[TheMix]

... dancing... beetles...

I thought that was going to do it, but then...

... with pissburnt trousers...

[hepcat]

It fits the sensibilities of What We Do in the Shadows perfectly. It seems like something Laszlo would write.

[Eel Snave]

Al Green has a new track out where he covers "Everybody Hurts" and it sounds like it was written for him.

[Smoove_B]

First solo album ever!

[Skinypupy]

New Opeth today. I actually woke up a little early so I could throw on the good headphones and spin this in complete silence before the rest of the house woke up. Totally worth it, this is a remarkable album.

After 13 years of straying into King Crimson-style prog, they've finally gone back to their metal roots...and it was worth the wait. Interestingly, they now blend the best of both worlds with unique and really interesting song structures supported some of the most brutal shit they've ever done. Feels like they stepped away from metal for a decade plus only to come back, plant the flag in the middle of the scene, and say "Not only can we still do this whole metal thing if we want, but we can still do it better than 99.9% of the rest of you".

Oh, and Ian Anderson being the Narrator for this concept album and providing some excellent fluting (flauting?) was a brilliant decision. He's awesome, as always.

Will obviously be giving it plenty more spins today (and for the foreseeable future), but I already know that this will be neck-and-neck with Blood Incantation's "Absolute Elsewhere" for 2024's album of the year.

[LordMortis]

[Xmann]

New Opeth today. I actually woke up a little early so I could throw on the good headphones and spin this in complete silence before the rest of the house woke up. Totally worth it, this is a remarkable album.

After 13 years of straying into King Crimson-style prog, they've finally gone back to their metal roots...and it was worth the wait. Interestingly, they now blend the best of both worlds with unique and really interesting song structures supported some of the most brutal shit they've ever done. Feels like they stepped away from metal for a decade plus only to come back, plant the flag in the middle of the scene, and say "Not only can we still do this whole metal thing if we want, but we can still do it better than 99.9% of the rest of you".

Oh, and Ian Anderson being the Narrator for this concept album and providing some excellent fluting (flauting?) was a brilliant decision. He's awesome, as always.

Will obviously be giving it plenty more spins today (and for the foreseeable future), but I already know that this will be neck-and-neck with Blood Incantation's "Absolute Elsewhere" for 2024's album of the year.

Yeah this album is pure brilliance. Blood Incantation Absolute Elsewhere was my album of the year before this album. Both of these are amazing.

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro using Tapatalk

[Skinypupy]

Blood Incantation Absolute Elsewhere was my album of the year before this album. Both of these are amazing.

I had a long drive on Saturday (about 2 hours each way) so I spun both of these albums a few times back-to-back to try and figure out which I like more. I'm still undecided, but I think I'm slightly leaning towards Blood Incantation, and here's why.

"Last Will" is a fascinating album with all sort of crazy and interesting musical twists and turns, but I think it moves a little too quickly for it's own good. Ackerfeldt himself said as much (in this interview): "He continues: “It’s a pretty happening record – there’s a lot of stuff going on. We don’t linger on parts like we did 20 years ago. I went with the flow of my own restlessness, which has resulted in quite a crazy record." It's an album that literally never stops changing throughout it's entire runtime and it feels like right when you get into the groove of something, it does a 90 degree turn into something else...often to it's own detriment.

"Absolute Elsewhere", on the other hand, has just as many quirky shifts and changes, but it actually lets you sit with each one for just the perfect amount of time before jumping to the next. Reminds me of Agalloch in their prime, where there isn't a single note that feels like it's too long, too short, or out of place. It's a less chaotic album and while it's definitely all over the place, there seems to be more of a logical structure to it that just makes perfect sense. It also has several really catchy hooks that I find myself humming long after I listen (the dub breakdown in Stargate I is a great example), while "Last Will" doesn't have anything in particular that really hooks me after the fact.

Make no mistake, they're both excellent albums. Possibly the best metal we've had in the past several years. But I'm leaning just ever-so-slightly to BI as my favorite of the two today. That's...entirely subject to change.

[LordMortis]

[Eel Snave]

Hey, new Father John Misty, album is called Mahashmashana. I'm really digging the song "She Cleans Up."

[hitbyambulance]

The new Molchat Doma album that dropped today is incredible. Dark Belarusian post punk synth-pop.

missed when you posted this. the new album is quite a departure, but they're moving in a promising direction - a much 'bigger' sound. "Белая Полоса" is like if you took the entirety of Depeche Mode's _Ultra_ and condensed it into one track, haha.



(there are a number of Depeche-isms on this album)

i think "III" is my favorite track.



got tickets to see them in February; surprised to see how big they are now!

[Daehawk]

I grew up loving Captain & Tennile in the 70s. Loved every song I heard.

[Skinypupy]

I saw Slimelord pop up on several "Best of 2024" lists over the past week, and had to give it a spin. Hoo boy, it does not disappoint.

Slimelord is what you'd get if you took Opeth's fresh bounciness, dragged it through 137 miles of mud, then buried in a bog. It has the solid bones of massive, chonky, catchy, death/doom-y riffs that poke through the layers of rotting sludgy guitars and vocals that sound like they're being spit through a mouth full of old moss and broken teeth. Maybe it's just because it matches my generally bad disposition this week (lots of work bullshit that has me on edge) but it's a near-perfect mix of catchy hooks and nasty primordial ooze.

Can listen to the whole thing here, the second track "Gut Brain Axis" being my personal fave.

[Skinypupy]

Of all the "Best of 2024" lists, this one might be the most unexpected inclusion. Blood Incantation's "Absolute Elsewhere" came in at #7 on...Time magazine's list?

[Skinypupy]

I don't think there's anything else that will be dropping in the next couple weeks, so here's my top 10 for 2024. Ended up being a really solid year.

10. Nails, "Every Bridge Burning". Just 18 minutes of pure, raw, unadulterated fury. No filter, no filler, just absolute anger. Best Track: "Every Bridge Burning"

9. Aquilus, "Bellum II". As one of my most-anticipated albums in the past several years, I'm actually a little bummed this one is lower on the list than I would have initially expected. His formula of complex orchestra arrangements mixed with brutal metal still works really well...just not quite as well as it did on the first album. Still an excellent listen, just doesn't quite reach the lofty heights of it's predecessor. Best Track: "Night to Her Gloam"

8. Fleshgod Apocalypse, "Opera". Another album that I had hoped would be a little higher on my list, and probably would have been if not for two clunker tracks in the midpoint. The expanded use of operatic vocals gave this entire album a very epic feel, especially when you know the backstory (lead singer almost died from a climbing accident, the album is about his extended recovery). Best Track: "I Can Never Die"

7. Slimelord, "Chytridiomycosis Reliquished". Slimy, mucky, oozing doom from the depths of a forgotten bog. Just a nasty album all around that hits all the right doom-y, murky buttons for me. Best Track: "Gut Brain Axis"

6. Thy Catafalque, "XII". For me, Tamás Kátai can do no wrong with his mix of metal, folk, doom, EBM, and trance. I just really love his style and all the Hungarian folk elements that range from fun bounciness to crushing sadness. Best track: "Vakond" (if you're toes aren't tapping with this one, you may be dead)

5. Zeal & Ardor, "Greif". After the first couple listens, I though this might end up on my "most disappointing" list for the year. Once I started appreciating it for what it was instead of being disappointed by what it wasn't, the album really clicked. It's a fun rock 'n roll record, not a metal album. Best Track: "To My Ilk"

4. Ihsahn, "Ihsahn". I'm finding that I actually prefer Ihsahn's solo albums to his output with Emperor, which I never thought I'd say. This album uses symphonic elements to brilliant effect, creating sweeping and epic soundscapes that tell wonderful musical stories. Best Track: "Blood Trails to Love"

3. Weston Super Maim, "See You Tomorrow Baby". This is one of the most chaotic albums I've every heard. The blending of hardcore, Industrial, death metal, techno, drone, and other styles creates a truly unique sound. And through all the anger, there's still a ray of positivity and hope that shines through. It's really a fascinating listen. Best track: "See You Tomorrow Baby"

2. Opeth, "Last Will and Testament". We had all hoped for a return of "old-Peth" and they didn't dissapoint. Wild, intense, unexpected, and always fun as hell, this album was everything I hoped it would be and more. The inclusion of Ian Anderson (one of my all-time favorite musicians) was an especially inspired touch. Best Track: 3

Album of the Year: Blood Incantation, "Absolute Elsewhere". I bounced back and forth between this one and Opeth's "Last Will and Testament" several times, but this one ultimately won out. While Opeth was a fun return to form, I honestly think "Absolute Elsewhere" will be held up as a genre standard for years to come. It's a truly remarkable piece of art, coming together in all the right ways to create far more than the sum of it's (very disparate) parts. There hasn't been anything like this one in a long time. Best track: "Stargate I-III"

Song of the Year: Blood Incantation "The Stargate". From brutal death metal, to dubstep, to proggy ambient (yes, that is actually Tangerine Dream at the 8 minute mark), to folk, back to death metal, straight through to Pink Floyd...and on it goes. As soon as you think it has settled into one thing, you get a remarkable left turn into something entirely different. It's just a truly astounding piece of music from start to finish.



Honorable mention:
- Ulcerate "Cutting the Throat of God"
- Sarke, "Endo Feight"
- Hellbutcher, "Hellbutcher"
- Funeral Leech, "The Illusion of time"
- Misotheist, "Vessels By Which the Devil is Made Flesh"
- Necrowretch, "Swords of Dajjal"
- Octoploid, "Beyond the Aeons"
- Spectral Voice, "Sparagmos"
- Gaerea, "Coma"

Disappointment(s) of the Year: Probably a toss up between Wind Rose's "Trollslayer" and Tribulation's "Sub Rose in Aeternum". I was hoping the former would be a bouncy, silly, sing-along album, but ended up just kinda...boring. The latter tried to shift more to clean vocals (a la Sisters of Mercy or Clan of Xymox) but didn't have nearly the vocal chops to carry that switch. Also, their songwriting has gone way downhill since "Down Below".

Pallbearer's "Mind Burns Alive" would be on this list as well, but I already knew that boring slog is the way they were headed after the last album so I just sort of expected this.

[JCC]

My album of the year is Dark Tranquillity - Endtime Signals. Yet another banger from them. Unleash the Archers' Phantoma is my reluctant runner up. I liked their 2 previous albums more, but this is still quite good.

Don't really have any other albums that stood out for me this year. But, I also listened to more podcasts than music this year.

[RM2]

[Skinypupy]

Decent tune, but it mostly just makes me remember how much I miss Type O.

[hitbyambulance]

i've now listened to Roger Waters' _Dark Side of the Moon Redux_ twice (once in Atmos audio) and i'm _still_ not sure what to make of it. it just sounds kinda half-assed in places.

(the spatial audio is done really well, fwiw)

[Skinypupy]

Doodseskader ("death squad") popped up on a year-end list with the following description.

Combining heavy doses of both Amenra and Aphex Twin, Neurosis and Nine Inch Nails, all garnished with a dash of Deftones and a stiff shot of Godflesh, and then thrown into a blender along with hefty helpings of Death Grips, dälek, and Run the Jewels, the resultant amalgamation is undoubtedly as stupidly divisive as it is almost disgustingly catchy, with the sneering, snotty nihilism of the lyrics and the swaggering, spiteful antagonism of the vocals being either the cherry on top, or the final nail in the coffin – depending on your reaction – when it comes to the band’s fearless, fuck you attitude.

It certainly does not disappoint, this album is a fun listen.

[disarm]

I know that Coheed and Cambria and the amazing Claudio Sanchez have come up there before thanks to Smoove and myself, but I heard this one again this evening and wanted to share it with everyone...



The Prizefighter Inferno is Sanchez's solo project and this song emerged from an album he put together during the pandemic...a time when his 100-year old grandfather was dying and his own wife was very ill. The song was written for his mom, Laura, from the perspective of her dying father...a really beautiful song, perfectly performed, that deserves to be heard.

[hepcat]

Hey, new Father John Misty, album is called Mahashmashana. I'm really digging the song "She Cleans Up."

He was interviewed on NPR a week or so ago about the album and his career. He’s a fantastic interview and made me chuckle more than once.

[YellowKing]

I was listening to a random 80s metal playlist on Spotify and got hooked on Saxon. And I've been down that rabbit hole all weekend.

[Hrdina]

Hey, new Father John Misty, album is called Mahashmashana. I'm really digging the song "She Cleans Up."

He was interviewed on NPR a week or so ago about the album and his career. He’s a fantastic interview and made me chuckle more than once.

This one here? Some of the YT comments indicate that he hasn't done interviews in a while.

[hepcat]

This is another one that was on NPR recently. That's the one I listened to.

[geezer]

Any Charly Bliss fans here? They released new music this fall that I just found out about,but it reminded me to go back and spend a few minutes with this awesome live performance for The Ringer from a few years back.

[hepcat]

Continuing the grrrl rock thing, I'm diggin' Lambrini Girls out of the U.K.



I love the description they posted of themselves.

Imagine your nan is in the boot of your car with a croissant in her mouth and hears bikini kill for the first time. That could be you. It will never be us as we are not bikini kill and we are not your nan. We are Lambrini Girls. Bon appetite xoxox

[geezer]

Continuing the grrrl rock thing, I'm diggin' Lambrini Girls out of the U.K.



I love the description they posted of themselves.

Imagine your nan is in the boot of your car with a croissant in her mouth and hears bikini kill for the first time. That could be you. It will never be us as we are not bikini kill and we are not your nan. We are Lambrini Girls. Bon appetite xoxox

[dbt1949]

[Jaymann]

This song epitomizes the excesses of '60s blues rock. It goes on too long reaching almost comedic levels.

[Hrdina]

This is another one that was on NPR recently. That's the one I listened to.

Wow, he's really getting out there into the public eye.

[LordMortis]

Had Cab Calloway on my mind



Introduced to me by the Muppets (Minnie the Moocher would come many years later)

[Jeff V]

On the last day of The Limelight, a pretty wild, avant-garde nightclub housed in a former church, Cab Calloway was supposed to play on NYE (I'm too lazy to look up the year, but it was a long time ago). Cab became ill at a gig in Japan earlier in the week, and while he didn't play, his excellent band still did. I think he died fairly shortly afterward.

Tonight listened to a Camper van Beethoven concert from 2004. I always liked bands that worked in a violin.