Oblique Paths review

I don't understand the pop structure. I enjoy it, I try to write in its parameters, but I am never successful. That's why I've always been more comfortable with more experimental, looser compositions. Noise/Power electronics is the last genre that really challenges me as a listener.  I also love metal, despite its reliance on more typical song structures. Rarely do these two sounds combine but when they do, whatever record that contains will most certainly be one of the best of the year.

Culted's new album is that record, a swirling, lurching monolith of death/black metal, ambient and noise sprinkled with unsettling, chopped up vocal samples. The whole record is unpredictable. Very few tracks have discernible patterns. "Brooding Hex", the first track on the record, is nineteen minutes plus of pure experimentation, with several different riffs, melodies, drum patterns, and electronic interludes. It's amazing.

Some songs, like "Distortion of the Nature of Mankind" are more industrial, Swans-esque joints, pounding drum beats and all. That's about the closest this album gets towards metal. This isn't for everyone, as experimental music can and probably will descend into dead-serious wankery. What makes this album special for me is the musical competency of it. A lot of experimental musicians rely on very simple techniques but the members of Culted are all clearly virtuoso players. It's refreshing.

Speaking of the musicians behind this project, none of them live near each other. Daniel lives in Sweden while Micheal and Matt live in Canada. This adds to the tone of the record, misanthropic, isolated. It really amazes me that these guys put this record together without ever meeting face to face.

This is a 9/10 for me, a very well done piece of experimental music. It's stopped from being perfect by the lack of flow between the tracks. That's a big plus for me.

You can stream the album here: http://www.terrorizer.com/news/streams/stream-culteds-new-album-oblique-paths-full-terrorizer/ but you should buy a copy through Relapse Records.

Sunn o)))/ Ulver excerpt

So, as you can imagine, I am incredibly, ridiculously excited for the upcoming  Sunn o)))/ Ulver collaborative album. Two of my favorite bands collaborating on a full length album. Be still my beating heart.

So when I heard the bandcamp excerpt I was positively blueballed. This little snipped is slow, creeping, minimal, and downright haunting. If the full LP is half as good as this excerpt, we might have the record of 2014 on our hands.

http://sunnulversl.bandcamp.com/

Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance. Dance to theradio.

I've always had a fascination with underground radio, pirate radio, and the DJ as the taste maker. The John Peel's of the airwaves are very important. They play records that others would not and turn a lot of people on to music that they wouldn't normally have heard. That's fantastic! With the internet, the underground music radio shows are more prevalent and easier to access than ever. Here's a couple that stand out to me.

1.

Hellcast- Hellcast is a biweekly broadcast that plays only the finest of underground metal. It's some fantastic stuff. An amazing selection of modern and classic underground metal. It's turned me on to some fantastic bands (Nox Illunis is fantastic).  I also like that the hosts adopt pseudonyms (Reaper and Eddie Satan). It gives the whole production a cheap, scummy, underground 1980's vibe. http://hellcast.hellsheadbangers.com/

2. 

Maximum Rock N Roll Radio- Say what you will about MRR, but they have some great fucking records. I like the format of this show. Having touring bands come on and pick out their favorite records from the MRR library is just a cool premise and it ends up with a lot of variety. I've heard garage, goth, crust, and straight up death metal on the show. It's cool to see what music bands are into.

http://radio.maximumrocknroll.com/

Carbon Based Lifeforms release film score.

Swedish Ambient Duo Carbon Based Lifeforms have released a teaser from their score for the film The Refuge. I dig it, I like the idea of well known electronic musicians scoring films. They fit together like a hand and glove.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZYszv1_xKs