The Atlas Moth - "The One Amongst The Weed Fields" digital EP

Featuring 4 classic rock songs re-imagined by Chicago doom-weirdie-metal act Atlas Moth, this digital-only EP is a stopgap, proving that these guys have both a freaky sense of humor and the chops to drop thick, sludgy riffs among their low-and-slow doom metal.
The immortal "California Dreamin'" opens, and though the song is recognizable, it seems little more than a joke. Ironic interpretation. I get it.
The EP's finest moment, Pink Floyd's "Fearless", follows. This one eschews the silliness and goes for a seriously gargantuan riff and pummel. Absolutely killer.
Failure's "Golden" is another strong track of spacious drone-metal that works well.
Finally, the Doors' Five To One" is a lysergically-driven slice of psyche-metal that's all-but-unrecogizable, and really pretty unnecessary. This one's hit-and-miss, so proceed with caution! (Candlelight/Tanglade)

Atlas Mothspace

Cruachan - "Blood On The Black Robe" album

Straight outta Dublin. Yes, this veteran Irish pagan metal act takes cues from their native country's folk music alongside more modern metal sounds. "I Am Warrior" sounds like Carcass' Jeff Walker fronting a Celtic folk act, but "The Column" is a superb and intense Irish-infused slice of near-black metal. "Thy Kingdom Gone" further shows that these guys have the chops -- a feverish assault of thrashy speed metal that easily holds its own. "The Voyage Of Bran" is a true example of Celtic metal, forging medieval melodies with driving guitars and drums. But, I'm not convinced on every track, though. When they're "on", Cruachan destroy. But some of the ornate medieval melodies sound downright silly when juxtaposed with the band's often-crushing riffs. Can't commit here, sorry. (Candlelight Records)

Cruachanspace

Philip Selway - "Familial"

Solo album from Radiohead member who's not Thom Yorke or Jonny Greenwood. Drummer Selway proves his songwriting worth with a superb album of mature and folksy pop tunes. I get a little Beatles, a little Pink Floyd. Young God recording artist Lisa Germano and members of Wilco are present, as well, so you know this is an honest and tuneful set of songs. Good stuff! (Nonesuch)

Philip Selway's site

Radiohead Dead Air

Radiohead - "The King Of Limbs"

I could expand on this album and do a full-on, in-depth review. But you already know whether you'll be picking this one up or downloading it. Right? So let's dispense with the formalities, shall we? Suffice to say, Radiohead don't disappoint with this brief (8-song, 38-minute) album. It's a laid-back, spacious affair overall, without any certain standout "pop" hits necessarily. Electronic, ambient, organic, psychedelic, krautrock...it's all there. Yorke and company are in fine form. (self-released)

Radiohead's official "King Of Limbs" order site

Dead Air Space

"A History Lesson Part 1 - Punk Rock In Los Angeles in 1984" DVD (director: Dave Travis)

This documentary utilizes footage culled from Travis's teenage bootlegs, and succeeds in presenting a fitting and faithful tribute to the era's nearly-forgotten punk roots. Sandwiching more recent-era band interviews with his fan-shot live clips, "A History Lesson" gives the impressions of the featured acts in their own words, so there's a proper historical perspective that some live videos lack. Included are the Meat Puppets, Redd Kross, The Minutemen, and Twisted Roots, all children of punk rock who broke some of the molds and helped give rise to the alternative scene of the 90s.

Sure, some of the live clips are grainy and the sound muddy, but this stuff would've been lost on VHS forever, so kudos to Travis for resurrecting it, and for giving us a unique and interesting document. Anyone with an interest in classic LA punk needs to see this, pronto. (MVD Visual)

"Iceland: Beyond Sigur Ros" (director: Brett Gregory)

Here's a really lovely and enlightened short film (all of 30 minutes) examining the music of Iceland, featuring such names as Ólafur Arnalds. Seabear, Mugison, and a lot of lesser-known and diverse talents, from the death metal of Severed Crotch to the dance pop of Sykur. Filmed in glorious HD, this film isn't about Sigur Ros, but about the indie music scene in Iceland. It can be seen FREE at Serious Feather's site here.

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Der Blutharsch - "Der Blutharsch (aka "First")" CD

A reissue of the 1996 debut album from Austrian composer Albin Julius, this one opens with bold and strident military marching music, but quickly moves more towards an ambient post-industrial sound by the untitled 5th track.

A frequent collaborator with Death In June, and other occult/Germanic-leaning groups, Julius seasons his gray-tinged soundscapes with World War II imagery and martial industrial moods. Samples of military music pepper the 6th track, which appears as a ghost among the tense and thick textured drones. Track 10 is an ominous and percussive cut reminiscent of early Laibach or Test Dept, whereas Track 13 is more Neubauten-like, with crashing percussion and simplistic melody.

Overall, an impressive release, and perfect for fans of heavy-handed percussive music with proto-military motifs. (Tesco Germany)


Der Blutharschspace