Category: Alternative

14Sep

[ALBUM REVIEW] MARILYN MANSON – ‘We Are Chaos’

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Artist: Marilyn Manson

Album: We Are Chaos

Date Of Release: 12th September 2020

Label: Loma Vista Recordings

 

Track Listing:

1. Red Black And Blue

2. We Are Chaos

3. Don’t Chase The Dead

4. Paint You With My Love

5. Half-Way One Step Forward

6. Infinite Darkness

7. Perfume

8. Keep My Head Together

9. Solve Coagula

10. Broken Needle

 

Review:

I still remember the first time I ever heard Marilyn Manson. While at High School a friend slipped me a mixed tape that contained a couple of Manson’s tracks. One was “Irresponsible Hate Anthem” and suddenly I had discovered another artist that seemed to be turning my diary entries into music.

Of course like all Manson fans I weathered the storm of the whole ‘he’s not really heavy… you shouldn’t be listening to him’ crap and to this day I still believe that Holy Wood (In The Shadow Of The Valley Of Death) is one of the greatest alternative albums ever made and I even have a soft spot for his more commercial The Golden Age of Grotesque.

Now comes Manson’s new album We Are Chaos and yes it seems even twenty-five years down the track Manson is still an artist that knows how to capture the mood of the world in an album. This isn’t just an album to listen to in 2020 this is the freakin’ soundtrack of 2020.

The album overcomes a fairly strange pre-amble (it is Manson so what do you expect) to fall straight into “Red Black And Blue” which captures the traditional Manson sound so well. From there Manson goes into “We Are Chaos” – a track that captures the mood and emotions of 2020 in a way that no other track has. He repeats that formula with “Broken Needle” which also serves to be the perfect closer for a deeply emotional and moody album.

As an album We Are Chaos makes a lot of twists and turns. “Don’t Chase The Dead” is pure old school Manson while “Perfume” is a creative despite its catchiness. “Keep My Head Together” captures more of an alternative rock vibe while the thought provoking “Infinite Darkness” has you seriously thinking about the line ‘you are dead longer than you are alive.’

There are some truly amazing tracks on the album as well though. “Paint You With My Love” sees Manson push his vocal boundaries and reach some amazing new heights and the beautiful instrumental sounds on “Half-Way One Step Forward” conjure up sounds normally only heard on folk metal albums. Then there is “Solve Coagula” which is clearly the best track on the album. Moody, blues like guitar mixed with Manson doing what he does best and capturing the inner thoughts of the disenchanted. ‘I’m not special, I’m just broken and don’t want to be fixed’ may well be some of the best written lyrics of this year.

Somebody had to step up and capture 2020 on an album and turns out that person was Marilyn Manson. Twenty-five years into his career and Manson once again shows why he deserves to be mentioned alongside artists like David Bowie and Iggy Pop for his creativity and the ability to capture the mood of his fans.

 

Rating (out of 5):

 

29Aug

[MUSIC INTERVIEW] THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS Interview

Posted in Alternative, Home Page, Interviews, Metal, Music, Music Genre, Rock | Leave a comment

 

As I begin my interview with Ron Winter from The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus I want to tell him how much I enjoyed listening to their latest offering The Emergency EP. But things don’t go exactly as I planned as Winter straight-away starts to tell me how much he loves Australia and how much he has missed it during this time of lockdown.

“Oh man it has been an amazing journey,” he says with complete honesty. “We have been in this band for seventeen years and the first time we were ever on the ground was at Soundwave. Since then it has been absolutely amazing… we have never had a bad show in Australia and we’ve consistently come back over and over again and that’s been sweet. We did the tenth anniversary awhile ago and I think that the Australian shows that we did were the best in the world and that wasn’t just because of the band – it was because of the vibe.”

As we talk more about his love affair of Australia we chat about their cover of “Down Under” which Winter says he loves of the lyrics of. That leads me to bring the conversation back to the lyrics on their new EP which to me felt like I was reading Winter’s diary because of how personal they were.

“Thank you,” he says laughing. “There are a lot of bands out there and everybody has a gimmick and ours has always been lyrics and I have always tried to stick to that. With this time all of these songs are directly related to me. Every song on the EP is something that I went through or it happened to somebody close to me.”

“So I have just tried to be as honest as I can and paint that picture,” he says continuing. “That is something that I dealt with because when somebody close to me goes through something I always try to be there with them and I am going through it with them… that is the way friendships are. But yes everything on there is something that I went through or going through currently and that is why I feel like there is some urgency there because it is a crazy time right now right across the board – it doesn’t matter how you look at it. It is just strange times, man.”

As we talk about that I mention the track “Please Unfriend Me” which I admit really resonated with me as I live in a lockdown and read people’s posts on social media about it. I ask Winter whether he has thought about the fact that most of the band’s fans will be listening to these important songs while they are still in lockdown. “I have thought about it,” he admits. “And that is something that I am going through as well… I am going through it with you right now. Here we are talking to each other right across the world and that is cool at least. It’s been weird and tough but I am glad that that is the one song that you have mentioned because that one is super, super fresh. That song wasn’t even mixed thirty days ago, it was written while we were in quarantine so those lyrics in that song… I am literally explaining what it felt like for me to be in quarantine and to see all this madness – that title is exactly how I reacted.”

 

The Emergency EP is out now through EMI.

28Aug

[MUSIC NEWS] THE SMASHING PUMPKINS Return

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GRAMMY® Award-winning, critically-acclaimed alternative rock luminaries, The Smashing Pumpkins return with two new tracks, Cyr’ and ‘The Colour Of Love,’ out on Sumerian Records today!

Recorded in Chicago and produced by Corgan, the new tracks come with the news of a forthcoming studio album in the works with founding members Billy Corgan, James Iha, Jimmy Chamberlin, with longtime guitarist Jeff Schroeder.

“Cyr is dystopic folly,” front-man Billy Corgan reveals, “one soul against the world sort of stuff, set against a backdrop of shifting loyalties and sped up time. To me it stands as both hopeful and dismissive of what is and isn’t possible with faith.”

Listen to ‘Cyr’ 
smarturl.it/SPCyr 

Listen to ‘The Colour of Love’
smarturl.it/SPColourOfLove

The band also revealed a very special official performance video of ‘Cyr,’ directed by Linda Strawberry, the video was shot remotely, during lockdown in Chicago and Los Angeles. “This is a goth fever dream of pent up emotion – an artistic visual release attempting to create a momentary escape from the emotional black cloud hanging over all of us this year.” Director, Linda Strawberry explains. “A dark seduction filmed in quarantine at a social distance” An undeniable and welcomed reminder as to why one of America’s most influential alternative bands continue to sell out arenas and garner praise worldwide.

Tune in for the performance video for ‘Cyr’
Friday, Aug 28 from 11pm Sydney time
youtube.com/c/smashingpumpkins

The new songs ‘Cyr’ and ‘The Colour of Love’ follow the band’s 2018 Rick Rubin-produced full-length  Shiny And Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / Lp: No Past. No Future. No Sun And headlining tours that sold in excess of over 350,000 tickets across North America, selling out arenas including The Forum, United Center, Madison Square Garden and more. Also, the band’s first tours in nearly two decades to feature Corgan, Chamberlin, and Iha, alongside Schroeder, they received rave reviews from critics, noting the tour as “a massive gift to their fans” (Uproxx), “a welcome reminder of why those early albums resonated in the first place” (SPIN), and “an unforgettably rewarding and often spectacular odyssey” (Forbes).
Formed in Chicago, IL in 1988, The Smashing Pumpkins released their heralded debut album Gish in 1991 and found mainstream success with 1993’s 4x multi-platinum Siamese Dream and 1995’s 10x multi-platinum Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The band has released seven additional studio albums; Adore, Machina/The Machines of God, Machina II/The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music, Zeitgeist, Oceania, Monuments to an Elegy and their last full-length, Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol 1 / LP: No Past, No Future, No Sun. With over 30 million physical albums sold, the multiple GRAMMY®, MTV VMA, and American Music Award winning band remains an undeniable force in alternative rock.

Having recently signed to Sumerian Records, CEO and founder Ash Avildsen reveals “The Smashing Pumpkins are one of the most influential, iconic and timeless bands of all time. They’ve played a huge part in my life and I can say the same for so many others in the Sumerian family.  This a colossal moment for the label but most importantly, it’s the dawn of a new decade of Smashing Pumpkins music.”
Album details to be revealed soon.

‘Cyr’ and ‘The Colour Of Love’ is out everywhere now.
smarturl.com

27Aug

[MUSIC NEWS] MASS SKY RAID Release New Single

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Gold Coast’s favourite prog sons, Mass Sky Raid, are today announcing their return with new single ‘Not Alone’ and with news and new personnel! While it’s been a quick minute in between releases, the four-piece are dropping their new single this Friday, August 28th – the first taste of an album to come in the near future. Add to that – Mass Sky Raid have switched up their lineup and are welcoming two new members to the fold!

Their new track ‘Not Alone’ is an ambient anthem – vocalist Adam Lomas shared his take on the lyrics and his attempt to “…consider the concept of facing one’s own fears as you try and find your own deeper purpose and meaning. The song explores the struggle one has when reaching for your dreams and the uncertainty that it creates when you step outside your own place of comfort to create a more meaningful life. It looks at the battle to find strength to take that unfamiliar and uncertain path which can lead to an ultimately more fulfilling existence.”

The new lineup of the band consists of original members Adam Lomas (Vocals) and Alex Kewley (Guitar) – along with new faces Nic Ross (Drums) and Joshua Whitney (Bass). Lomas went on to say that he is extremely excited about the future of the band with the new roster of faces and talents. “We couldn’t be more excited – to take this time to perfect our music and get it out there has been cathartic – and when we finally hit the live stage again, we can’t wait for everyone to see and hear just how large the sound we have created with this new lineup is!”

2019 saw Mass Sky Raid gain significant funding support through the local Gold Coast Regional Art Development Fund program. This enabled them to continue to develop and expand their unique anthemic sound and work toward their highly anticipated follow up album in collaboration with talented local Gold Coast producer Luke Palmer.

Gold Coast alternative/rock outfit Mass Sky Raid formed in 2011, releasing their debut EP ‘Courage Under Fire’ in mid 2013. That release received strong media reviews – including a 4.5 out of 5-star rating in rock bible Blunt Magazine – and went on to grab support slots with high profile Australian bands including Dead Letter Circus and Twelve Foot Ninja as well as UK exports I Am Giant.

They then followed up their successful EP with their first full length album “Science of Fiction” (produced by Matt Bartlem). Each single released from the album including “Oceans”, “Enemy”, “Sacrifice”, “Edge of the Unknown” and “Closer” gained considerable airplay on rock radio shows around Australia including triple J, Triple M, Rebel FM, 4ZZZ, Andrew Haug Radio, The Faction and FBi, in addition to over 40 stations worldwide. Their single “Closer” was also placed in Jane Gazzo’s Top 30 of Triple M Home Grown tracks in 2017.

Mass Sky Raid’s new single ‘Not Alone’ will see it’s release into the world Friday August 28th and will be available at http://ffm.to/MSR_NA.

26Aug

[ALBUM REVIEW] THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS – Emergency EP

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Artist: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Album: The Emergency EP

Date Of Release: 28th August 2020

Label: EMI

 

Track Listing:

1. A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Called LA

2. Stuck On A Repeat

3. Brace Yourself

4. Don’t Buy Into It

5. Is This The Real World

6. Please, Unfriend Me

 

Review:

I’ll admit that I came a little bit late to the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus party. Yes, they were a band I had heard about but I never really sat down to listen to their music until I saw how many of my colleagues were excited about the fact they were touring Australia at one time. When I asked them why they felt that way the response seemed to be an over-whelming “this is one of the greatest live bands that you will ever see.”

As it turns out they are not just one of the best live bands going around but are some of the best song-writers as well. You can seriously get lost listening to the lyrics from their brand new Emergency EP. You sit there, listening and nodding as you agree to everything that Ronne Winter is singing, but you also feel like a voyeur as it feels like you are reading the guy’s diary – that is how personal the lyrics are here. Mix that with the amazing guitar work of Josh Burke and Randy Winter and the right mix of heavy music with a hint of electronica and you soon get a perfect track like “Stuck On Repeat.”

Personal lyrics are the forte of this EP though. “A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Called LA” sees Winter perfectly capture the night that he met his wife and the track is destined to become a live favourite because of its stunning melody. Then there is “Don’t Buy Into It” which is political but delivers its point well.

The thought provoking lyrics continue on “Is This The Real World” which makes you think about the world around us, while Winter’s screams take Red Jumpsuit Apparatus into some of the heaviest territory that they have been into during their careers. That aggression continues on the start of “Please, Unfriend Me” which then turns to mellow vocals as Winters sums up the Covid-19 lockdown in a way that no other song-writer has been able to so far.

The highlight of this EP though is “Brace Yourself.” Everything comes together perfectly on this track. Burke and Winter are on fire, as they throughout the EP – seriously this is some of their finest work to date – while Winters’ naked style of singing reminds us all one he is one of the finest front-men going around at the moment.

It is hard to know how the band have picked any singles off this album because truthfully every track is good enough to have a life of its own on radio. The Emergency EP is some of Red Jumpsuit Apparatus’ best work and is a must have for their fans.

 

Rating (out of 5):

 

14Aug

[MUSIC NEWS] CHASE ATLANTIC Release New Video

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Fearless Records is pleased to welcome boundary-blurring trio Chase Atlantic, who represent the missing link between woozy trap, nocturnal R&B, and psychedelic alternative through creative sonic experimentation, to the worldwide roster. Chase Atlantic join the Fearless family as the second Australian band on the label.

Today, the group shared the video for the brand new track:

 

“As our first release of the year, we wanted to come back strong with a song that reflected the chaotic world around us,” the band says. “We wrote the song in one night and traveled to the Mojave Desert to film the music video the next day.”
Since forming, Chase Atlantic have amassed over 200 million streams and received acclaim from Billboard, OnesToWatch, mxdwn, PopCrush, Alternative Press, Substream Magazine, and Rock Sound, of which they graced the cover. The Australia-born and Los Angeles-based trio — Mitchel Cave, Clinton Cave, and Christian Anthony — boldly pushes forward again on their forthcoming debut for the label.

A prolific creative journey brought Chase Atlantic to this point. The band unleashed a string of EPs — ‘Dalliance‘ (2014), ‘Nostalgia‘ (2015), and ‘Paradise‘ (2017) — before their self-titled, full-length debut, ‘Chase Atlantic‘. They put up serious numbers on the likes of “Friends” (55.9 million Spotify streams), “Swim” (41.8 million Spotify streams), “Into It” (37.3 million Spotify streams), and “Okay” (21.7 million Spotify streams), to name a few. In 2019, their sophomore album, ‘PHASES‘, attracted widespread praise.

OnesToWatch predicted “while we would say the sky is the limit for Chase Atlantic with a showing this strong, chances are they would just break out of the stratosphere in the year to come.”

Along the way, they canvased multiple continents, headlined across the US, UK, and Europe, and sold out venues such as Webster Hall in New York, Kentish Town Forum in the UK, and The Regent Theater in Los Angeles, in addition to gracing the stages of high-profile festivals such as Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Reading and Leeds.  

Stay tuned for more information about Chase Atlantic’s debut release. “OUT THE ROOF” is available now to stream and purchase.

11Aug

[MUSIC NEWS] FENISIA Announce New Album

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Italian alternative metal band Fenisia will release their new full-length album entitled The Spectator on October 30, 2020 via Eclipse Records. The album was produced by Ray Sperlonga (American Idol) at Rosary Lane Studios, mastered by Collin Davis (Imagica, Deeds of Flesh) at Imperial Mastering, and the cover art was designed by Charles Prabowo at Blackout Brother. See below for the full track listing…

The Spectator is the band’s third full-length concept album named after a historic newspaper published in England in the early 1700s. The paper quickly became the symbol of modern journalism, and the album is a profound philosophical story developed around the character Lord Lumieres, who is both a journalist and a man of science. The first single off the album “Lord Lumieres” identifies him as a metaphor for knowledge and truth. As the story unravels, Lord Lumieres investigates and unmasks the deceptions and lies of every plot made up by fanatical leaders of illusory cults. Other highlights off the album include “Manifesto”, where Lord Lumieres declares his ideals to the world which are born from the enlightenment philosophy, and  “Burned In My Brain” which elaborates how he scans both reality and oblivion, in search of the truth. Every song on the album is an epic musical adventure which awaits the listener.

The band have also revealed their first music video from the album, for the first single “Lord Lumieres”. The video was directed by Dario Berardi and shot on location at the historic Itri Castle, Italy.

“The location for the shoot was fascinating because of the historical events that link the castle to the legend of the brigand Fra Diavolo“ says frontman Nic Ciaz. “Filming at the castle was also courageous because of the steep stairways and narrow access points which were designed to protect the inhabitants from attack. This made it impossible to mount our entire backline as we originally planned for the video. The fantastic setting of the castle, the details and natural lighting effects created by the imposing walls immediately made us understand how the presence of all the equipment wasn’t even necessary to get the right atmosphere we wanted for the video. We thank the local administration for allowing us to access the building. It was a fantastic experience!”

Pre-order the album on iTunes, Amazon, or Google Play, and stream the singles via Spotify, Apple Music, Music Unlimited, Deezer, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and more here.

08Aug

[MUSIC NEWS] GARMARNA Announce New Album

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Swedish folk rock pioneers GARMARNA have announced the details of their upcoming record ‘Förbundet’. The record is slated for worldwide release via Season of Mist on November 6. The cover artwork and tracklist can be found below.
GARMARNA comment: “It’s our absolute pleasure to finally present our upcoming album, ”Förbundet”.

Recorded and produced by Stefan Brisland-Ferner and co-produced and mixed by Christopher Juul, the new album is a dark, confident, coherent and hard hitting folk-album that we are extremely proud of. It was made possible with the generous contribution of our Kickstarter backers and it’s been painful not being able to share the result until now.

Throughout the years, we have tried to push the envelope what traditional Scandinavian story telling could mean musically. On the new album, it’s going full circle. Establishing an inspirational working relationship with Christopher Juul (Heilung, Euzen, Valravn) and releasing the new album on Season of Mist, we are starting fresh on new ground. Fully embracing our past we use everything we learned along the way, carving ourselves a new niche for the future.

Artwork artist is Axel Torvenius, a Swedish sculptor, illustrator and designer. A mutual admiration led to talks about a collaboration even before we thought of the new album. In finding out what the album was going to be like, it felt natural to bring Axel’s dark, beautiful and decadent take on folk lore and pagan imagery to the table.

Axel: “To be able to work with Garmarna and contribute with visual art for this coming release has been an absolute privilege and pure bliss. As a long time fan of Garmarna I have always been fascinated by their rich and deep soundscapes, which is connecting the folklore tradition with more modern tunes, still using traditional Scandinavian instruments, is creating a mesmerizing mix of dark, joyful music. Pure magic. In the illustrations I have been trying to capture some of this darkness and some of this modern folk I hear when I listen to them. This new album is def one of their strongest yet ( I have been listening to them since 1994) and as a fan I can assure no-one will be disappointed.”

We can’t wait to bring ”Förbundet” to the world. Thanks for your patience and support!”