Catching on 2014 Music : Young and in the Way – When Life Comes to Death (2014)

Music Review : Young and in the Way – When Life Comes to Death (2014)

Formed in Charlotte, North Carolina, YAITW are a blackened crust punk band or a crust punk band playing black metal. In fact, they are using various elements of each genre to form their own particular sound.

As one would have guessed it this makes it for a very aggressive album and a very somber used of many themes like the title Whe

n Life Comes to Death would suggest. With songs like Fuck This Life, Be My Blood, We Are Nothing, Final Dose, and Embrace Extinction don’t expect any joie de vivre. The revolving of those themes reminds of old school punk  and makes it for a very homogenous record. Surprisingly, this is somewhat of an accessible piece for fans of each genre because of the easy mingle between crust punk and black metal and the opened path by the recent releases of the legendary Norwegians of DarkThrone.

Finally, since this is a crossover of two hermetic genres, When Life Comes to Death reminds us how bands that mix many genres like the finnish power/black/heavy metallers of Children of Bodom have gained many non-metal fans or non-fans of each genre to rally and be the poster boys of metal, well YAITW despite their dangerous attitude are kind of giving a similar message of entry into the genres but not completely immersing into the core of both of the infamous music.

6.0

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (David Zellner, 2014)

 

A jaded Japanese woman discovers a hidden copy of Fargo (1996) on VHS, believing it to be a treasure map indicating the location of a large case of money.

Just like Fargo itself, Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is based on a true story. Well, it is what it is stated when entering into each film.

Staring beautiful Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi as Kumiko this Zellner bros (David and Nathan Zellner) film captures by its plot line but does it delivers as much as its promises?

First off, this is a beautiful contemporary film with high contrasted colors. It is visually stunning with Kumiko’s red coat that sparks just like the blood on the snow in the infamous scene of the wood chipper in Fargo. In fact, much of the Coen bros’ film aesthetics is recognizable as an influence or an inevitable copy to keep us in the right mood that links both films together.

Kumiko’s conquistador quest is interesting, heartfelt, and well balanced funny. However, a lack of writing elevates this from the good level of independent cinema of nowadays. The danger when a film links to a high esteemed film, and in this case a masterpiece like Fargo

I liked that they linked both films with the same opening of true events inspiration. As many knows, Fargo weas not based on a true story. Why? This is how the Joel and Ethan Coen are, they know how to manipulate the viewer to make him believe or care for insignificant things. Gifted storytellers do this, they can lead us anywhere they want with the most ridiculous characters. In the case of Kumiko, there’s another level but it never goes as far as a post-modernist study of the stupidity of the human race.

This is the real danger when making a film with an interesting storyline or a great starting idea. I’ve seen numbers of films that showcase a great starting idea but that have a less than average ending. Many things can elevate a good story to a great story, but an average story needs better writing and Kumiko suffers mainly because of its middle of the road writing.

Still, this is a beautiful film that was made with good values and a will to be quiet but efficient independent reflexion of a lost woman in the modern world.

Whiplash

Whiplash (Damien Chazelle, 2014)

A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.

It is important to immediately inform you the reader that before we get into this film review of Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, I own and play on a drum occasionally and I even introduced the instrument to my daughter when she was six months old. So music and drumming are important to me and a strong interest for me. So in a way, this review might be tainted with other than a simple movie review.

Staring off with the mention of the tremendous performance by J.K. Simmons as Fletcher the tyrannical mentor is not an understatement to say that he steals every scene he is in. As his opposite, young Miles Teller plays the greatness driven Andrew who wants to become one of the best jazz drummer of his generation. It is a bit of a surprise that Teller was not nominated for an Oscar for his performance. The chemistry between the two actors works because the manipulative Fletcher works like a chameleonic presence of building and destroying to build better artists than they ever dream of.

My reading of Whiplash is a Freudian one with Andrew in the middle of his biological father who wants the best for his only child that he raised by himself having to be his father and his mother. While Andrew prefers Fletcher’s hard love father figure of a despotist dictator conductor. While he sees his father as weak and too soft for him he goes to Fletcher to get the kick and beat himself to become great. He is relegating his biological father as a figure of moral support but not a life guidance one. Feeling that his father has failed him and does not understand his drive and aspirations.

Apart from the great tension of the story and its acting performances, the cinematography and editing of the musical sequences are warm and well executed. Lighting is very dark but gives the right atmosphere for jazz music and how the conservatory seems to be taking its students into a close set of isolation and obsessive study.

Whiplash is a strong film and having never heard of its director, Chazelle, I’m looking forward to discover his next projects. It is a film that makes me want to grab the sticks and jam on my set during long hours. This is the kind of film that inspires and also understands how creative teachers can be pain in the ass but also just want to get the best out of everything. Personally, I had a father like that and it was difficult when I was a child and a teenager but today I would not be the man I am.

Birdman : Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Birdman : Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, 2014)

A washed-up actor, who once played an iconic superhero, battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career and himself in the days leading up to the opening of his Broadway play.

Strong from its four wins at the 2015 Academy Awards, Birdman, the latest film from the Mexican New Wave director Alejandro G. Inarritu, this cynical view of the comeback of a has been of the show business sure has its moments but does it delivers has much as the noise surrounding it?

Winning for best picture, best director (Inarritu), best original screenplay (Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo), and best cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezki) in other words two of the major awards (picture and director) and two technical important ones (original screenplay and cinematography) Birdman is sure an impressive movie. Technically and visually this is the act of masters especially Lubezki with his superb camera movements following the protagonists and dancing like the interior voice of Riggan (Michael Keaton). It doesn’t take long to understand that we are in the point of view of the Birdman and we are gravitating around the production of this stage show. Lubezki who worked on two of the most beautiful film on the last five years The Tree of Life and Gravity has almost surpassed his wonderful camera work of Tree of Life with Birdman. However, the Terrence Malick vehicule is a masterpiece and Birdman is not.

With actors as talented as Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts and other wonderful surprises like Zack Galifianakis, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan and obviously Michael Keaton starring in a major motion picture and giving the performance of a life time as the man behind the birdman. Sure everyone gives an outstanding performance and no one is afraid to be vulnerable or a complete looser. In fact, this is almost a tale on losers and the need to humiliate yourself to grow up and achieve something.

As mentioned before this is a visually stunning film and its concept or gimmick gives him a unique feel and touch but its story doesn’t elevate to the next level. The film relies on its technical aspects a bit too much and its characters as outstandingly portrayed by every actors, are a bit one sided and might have needed more flesh and feathers around the bones from the writing department.

Finally, to answer my previous interrogation, as a whole the film delivers a refreshing tale of popularity, stardom, egocentrism but on the storyline and content I was left a bit disappointed. The icing on the cake is more appealing to watch but after the first bite the whole thing seems to be one note and we feel it was maybe prettier if left untouched.

Chef

Chef (Jon Favreau, 2014)

A chef who loses his restaurant job starts up a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise, while piecing back together his estranged family.

After a series of big budget blockbusters (Elf, Zathura, Iron Man, Cowboys Vs. Aliens) actor/director Jon Favreau did an attempt at the road movie/independent feature film all done with extensive budget and cast with Chef.

The story line is pretty obvious and there the old saying of nothing new under the sun could easily be used. It is more in the execution and cinematography that it makes a movie that gets you hungry with superb shots of food making. As a foodie myself I was salivating for the food and I must admit having an ever lasting crush on Scarlett Johansson who’s now a regular Favreau player. Along with John Leguizamo, Sofia Vergara, Robert Downey Jr., Oliver Platt, Dustin Hoffman, and Emjay Anthony Favreau makes an honest film about passion, family, redemption, and staying true to yourself as a person.

Just as Favreau said in interviews, he was very proud of his casting and it is one of the reasons that there are no real low points in Chef. Every scene as a more than capable actor in it. The young Emjay Anthony sure steals the show if you ask me, well if you are reading this you are in a way asking me my opinion, he is genuine, in control, and fits well with the rest of the veteran cast. Almost as a parallel to his father, portrayed by Favreau, he is the reason why his father won’t be a failure and as soon as they embark on their journey we know that something is going on. Again, nothing new under the sun but it is an honest attempt at a modest goal that he achieves with great means. Is it gonna be on my year end list? Probably not in the top ten but it was not a bad time to be with these characters and visit those places; Miami, Louisiana, California, etc.

Sure it is filmed with good sentiment and without a doubt it is a feel good movie. But it is a nicely executed feel good movie just like his grilled cheese. It is a high end grilled cheese, looking good and I would eat it but at the end it is still a grilled cheese but never pretends to be anything else either.

Catching on 2014 Music : Primordial – Where Greater Men Have Fallen (2014)

Primordial – Where Greater Men Have Fallen (2014)

This late 2014 release from the Irish outfit Primordial was an awaited album that is the obvious continuity of their discography. First, there’s no surprise here and no shift in their music. This is the same formula of long songs, strong vocals, and a solid overall offering.

While Redemption At The Purtian’s Hand was an instant classic, Where Greater Men Have Fallen (yes the band continues on a strike to name its albums with long titles) is more in the average section of my personal rating. Still a good disc. There’s a certain monotony and a lack of passion or aggression that the previous Primordial efforts had in their core. As I often explain in my musical reviews, I’m okay with a certain homogeneity in the form of an album but I what I fear the most is monotony and filling. Sadly, some moments of WGMHF contains one or both of these elements.

With the quality of released in 2014, Primordial isn’t in the upper section neither it is in the lower section of my ratings. This is the kind of highly expected records that let you on your appetite.

7.4

Catching on 2014 Music : Indian – From All Purity (2014)

Indian – From All Purity (2014)

Blackened Doom metal masters, Indian have released though Relapse a very engaging record that blends mostly doom with sonorities and ambiances of Black Metal. However, both genres/labels don’t seem to be obvious for a mix. Indian plays their own music and it feels right in the entire album.

From slow beats to heavy guitar riffs, From All Purity contains six tracks of pure heaviness and incomfort. Those four musicians beat the shit out of their instruments and seem to know no limits when it comes to spare notes.

One of the best records to come out of 2014 while getting doom enthusiasts a nice challenge, black metal fans will scratch their heads to know how violent and heavy an album could even be that deranging and beautiful. A cacophony of great proportions that takes the pattern that Unsane opened and it is as if the New York Hardcore band had a black metal twin that was hidden all that time and was discovered and unleashed.

8.3

 

Catching on 2014 Music : Godflesh – A World Lit Only By Fire (2014)

Godflesh – A World Lit Only By Fire (2014)

As an metalhead since almost twenty years I am often asked by people what is the heaviest band in the world. If I had a dollar each time people have asked me the same question I could only do things I like and not work anymore. Seriously, the common answer to that is to say Black Sabbath since they were one of the earliest bands carriers of heavy music. With nowadays’ resurgence of sludge, doom, noise, and the followers it is more a question of taste in genres. However, one of the heaviest bands of all time and of any genres is Godflesh. With a thirteen years of absence, A World Lit Only By Fire takes the torch at the same point they left the musical scene. This might be one of the best albums of 2014 along with Swans’ To Be Kind (review coming soon by the way).

Sounding as heavy, loud, and angered as ever Godflesh beats the crap out of every songs on this record. A lesson in metal and pure understanding of underground music. Labeled as industrial metal and post-metal, Godflesh makes what I would call their own genre and I find those labels too restrictive for the wide span of Godflesh.

Godflesh is part of the evolution of underground heavy music and must be taken as leaders of the cultural movement that is Metal. A World Lit Only By Fire is another proof that when artists like Justin Broadrick and G.C. Green are creating they always will be ahead of the mass offering of musicians. Whenever the time or trends.

8.6

The Best Albums of 2014

Hello everyone, I know I’ve been pretty silent these past weeks, but at work I’m involved in a great project of RM (records management for the initiated) and at home I’m working on the house and taking care of a little baby of six months is a lot of fun but also a lot of new responsabilities. However, I’m making a point that I would at least publish something for the end of the year.

This is the time of the year when we look back at what have been the best and the worst of the year. In music I have been listening to a lot of artists new to me and a bunch of bands I’ve been a fan of.

But time have been restricting me to discover some of the albums I’m listing here. They are blindspots that I have interests to discover but for now won’t make the list :

Blut Aus Nord – Memoria Vetusta III – Saturnian Poetry
Earth - Primitive and Deadly
Electric Wizard – Time To Die
Eyehategod – Eyehategod
Goatwhore – Constricting Rage Of The Merciless
Godflesh - A World Lit Only By Fire ; Review
Mournful Congregation - Concredescence Of the Sophia
Old Man Gloom – The Ape of God and The Ape of God ; Review
Pallbearer – Foundations Of Burden
Primordial – Where Greater Men Have Fallen
Raspberry Bulbs – Privacy
Serpentine Paths – Emanations
Swans – To Be Kind
Usnea – Random Cosmic Violence
YOB – Clearing The Path To Ascend
Young And In The Way – When Life Comes To Death Review

Then, they were ten that deserved the highest recognition of being listed as the best albums of 2014 :

Music Reviews : Wrekmeister Harmonies – Then It All Came Down (2014)

 

Music Reviews : Wrekmeister Harmonies – Then It All Came Down (2014)

This one track LP from Wrekmeister Harmonies, including many guests (Riley Walker, Chris Brokaw, Wrest, Lydia Lane Stout, Chanel Pease, Kate Spelling, Indian, Mark Solotroff) , feels like an album its creator wanted the listener to continuously get wrapped into its more than half an hour long diatribe.

Passing through different stages of independent music with some more recognizable traits like the black metal presence or the female emule of The Microphones. WH named themself after the cult Hungarian film Wreckmeister Harmonies from Bela Tarr and their music is repeats the formulaic of Mulholland Drive by David Lynch. In the DVD release of Lynch’s film, it doesn’t have chapters and the viewer is forced to watch it from start to beginning. It is a deliberate decision from its director.

To continue with the analogy with Mulholland Drive, which is an ode to Hollywood, films, studios, the star system, Then It All Came Down is also a visit into music and its many genres. A cacophonous chorus of sounds and emotions. A musical piece that takes many listens to fully appreciate and get its surprising circumvolutions. At times only a little buzz is present compared to the total chaos of screaming and doom drumming.

With patience, the listener gets the reward for the wait. Like drone or noise music there are no comparable and the better judge for this album is the listener himself who will appreciate to different levels the blend of the obvious and many influences of Wrekmeister Harmonies.

As the author of those lines, my point of view is that I am greatly surprise by my first encounter with this collective and the mix of genres and sounds was a great experience for myself. There are some heavy riffs while some moments reflect a unexpected sensibility and a depth that few musicians would be eager to explore. For me, it is a nice discovery and an album that will accompany me at work in moments of profound concentration for a long time.

8.4

Music Review : Wolves In The Throne Room – Celestite (2014)

Music Review : Wolves In The Throne Room – Celestite (2014)

This companion piece to Celestial Lineage, the near-masterpiece from these Washington state black metallers stating that they are not playing black metal but are obviously inspired by Ulver and Burzum’s decadent yet beautiful mastery challenge of BM while saying their biggest influence is Neurosis. Living on a farm and praising a return to organic form and life, the members of WITTR have recorded two of the best American black metal records to date; the aforementioned Celestial Lineage and Two Hunters.

Their recent release is an instrumental exploration of esoteric textures and sonorities that reminds of interesting interludes in Burzum and Ulver’s most notorious albums. An entire opus solely concentrated on ambiance and musical odyssey is pretty ballsy. With all the ambition that WITTR enters in this territory, an artist like M83 would have killed it. But here, WITTR misses the mark and should have released this album under another name just to separate the band from the experimentalists. Just like Sunn O))), who explores many alleys with other musicians they sign with their co-artists. WITTR did an okay job with a difficult task. It feels like a challenge the wolf could not chew by himself. Maybe a collab with a more experimented drone/noise music artist could have helped them raise the bar.

With Initiation at Neudeg Alm, there are glimpses of hope and a nice sound that opens the mystery angle that black metal and instrumental music share. It doesn’t need to be raised to epic scales.

Celestite is not a complete disaster but don’t get into this and wait for black metal or even metal. It is interesting for fans of the band to follow this new direction but it could have been more transitional or even a part of a double album with Celestial Lineage more than a piece of itself. Sometimes an artist has to get it out of his system to continue its evolution and get to stronger levels. Let’s hope it was the case here. Because Wolves In The Throne Room still has many promising records in the belly.

6.5

Music Review : Alcest – Shelter (2014)

 

Music Review : Alcest – Shelter (2014)

Alcest takes his origins in black metal but slowly evolved into a shoegaze act playing on My Bloody Valentine’s field more than Burzum’s. The album Shelter is an entire dedication to trippy rock and shoegaze. Since Deafheaven’s Sunbather, which was a perfected version of BM and shoegaze in 2013, many BM bands have crossed the lined of purist kvlt BM.

Alcest is now far from its BM roots but still in a territory of its own. At first it is a bit surprising to find a bleak comparison other than the aforementioned bands. But I would reference Katatonia and its latest entries of rock infused with darker landscapes. It is the atmosphere and feeling as a whole that still makes this a somber record that could entice fans of the early Alcest.

It is an interesting record for its whole texture but its monotony and lack of flavour is too heavy in the balance compared with its ambition that is limited by the change of style that Alcest has occured. It is a grey album that transpire a melancholy and a spleen that is not elevated by its music and lacks in overall tenure and a monochrome structure that sinks slowly the record from song to song.

It is an entry into a genre that is difficult to master and a miss that could not be a hit but a lesson that experiences are permitted and an average album doesn’t sink a band but a series could.  

6.1

Music Review : Caribou– Our Love (2014)

 

Caribou– Our Love (2014)

Artist Dan Snaith’s Our Love release under the moniker Caribou, is another electronic/pop notable release of 2014. Being a metal monger before any other genre, I try to give a couple of listens to other major records to at least get a grasp of what is notable and that could make a top list of the end of the year.

This electro-pop-indie-rock mix of contemporary music but also very melancholic in a way that it isn’t that fun fun happy pop one would expect from an electro-pop album. There’s a sense of atmosphere and melody that can relate a bit to M83 without the epicness of the motion picture scale that is in Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming!. Our Love plays on pop fields and is a bit more commercial but still a well composed record.

With All I Ever Need, Snaith revisits pop and impose his vision. While with Our Love (the song), this is electronic that takes all the stage. However, songs are hard to split into genres and it is the blend of all of Snaith’s explorations that makes the record hold together quite well.

HIs delivery as a singer is a bit off and seems distant but also correct with the fact that the album sounds a lot digital and his robotic tone may or may not get the public. At first listen it makes it an homogenic record except on Second Chance which features Jessy Lanza on one of the best songs of the album. The music goes places you would not expect from the vocals and Lanza’s presence is refreshing and helps to balance the sad tome of Snaith’s voice and his vision of love.

Snaith composes songs about love and the different phases of love in a relationship. He seems to have lived a lot of events in his love life with his wife of thirteen years and his child born in 2011.

Our Love is a record that may not connect with the listener at the first listen. But it slowly grows on you and the order of the songs makes a nice structure that let an evolution that is considerate. Amongst the plenty of records in 2014, especially in pop music, Caribou’s Our Love elevates itself with its nice blend of electronic/pop/indie. An intimate record of grandeur.

8.0

Gone Girl

Gone Girl (David Fincher, 2014)

With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.

With recent success with The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and most notably the Netflix production House of Cards, David Fincher directs the adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s own best-selling novel Gone Girl. Fincher’s previous directing credits in investigations from Seven to Zodiac are more than worth mentioning. They are essential viewings for any film enthusiast.

Starting with a novel of more than five hundred pages and reducing it to more or less two hundred, author and screenwriter Flynn has done a tremendous job in skimming an unique plot and keeping the essential and the most interesting parts of her novel. While the novel has many ups and some downs or lesser parts, in the motion picture we are in the presence of the most interesting facets of the investigation. It is difficult to summarize the plot line because many elements are potential spoilers. However, the author of the novel had to pin point the plot aspects that were helping the story to evolve at a nice pace without compromising her idea and the whole situation it describes. Having read the novel weeks before I saw Gone Girl, I can state that it is one of the best adaptations that is true to the original material and could elevate its better parts to filmic bliss.

Talking of filmic hability, Fincher manages to once again throw a directing job with great mastery at a subtle level of execution. Everything is in the fact that we are leaded by a talented storyteller that doesn’t need any special trick or subterfuge to enjoy this story.

In front of the camera we have now respected as a director but still an actor Ben Affleck with a role that is almost written for him and his apathic presence of good family boy and his weird I want to make you feel okay smile. One thing that Fincher in fact wanted the most from Affleck. When reading the novel, imagining Affleck playing Nick Dunne feels right.
With Amy or Amazing Amy, Rosamund Pike gives a revealing performance of holding back but also complete control over the very meaty part she has to carry.
There are many interesting supporting parts of Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens), Margo (Carrie Coon) Nick’s sister, Desi (Neil Patrick Harris), and Tanner Bolt surprisingly portrayed and mastered by Tyler Perry.

Then you have the Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score that follows their previous collaborations with David Fincher on The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Its texture and composition have been trademarks of Fincher excellence but also subtle or very present ambiant music that blends imagery and sound to a unique place. This might be one of the best score from Reznor and Ross just for the fact that it is present without overly taking too much space.

Gone Girl is another demonstration that the thriller genre can still be thrilling and gets into unexpected twists and turns. Genre novels and films need more Gillian Flynn and David Fincher to bring original stories alive and continue to get people’s attention. To be surprise and entertained is more and more difficult since everything is a product from a product that is a copy-paste of the original. Playing with the rules of a genre doesn’t hurt and Fincher seems to really enjoy himself playing into them and stepping on them just enough to get us a new way of seeing it without making a complete mess that would not appeal to a larger public. Not that I don’t like a mess once in a while but I each time I watch a Fincher film it reminds me how much I admire his films.

Music Review : St. Vincent – St. Vincent (2014)

 

Music Review : St. Vincent – St. Vincent (2014)

I only knew this artist by name and it was one of the many Indie titles I’d have to get to sometime. However, since her passage on SNL in season finale of 2013-2014, I was intrigued by her new album and its cover art directly inspired by one of her favorite film; Alejandro Jodorowski’s The Holy Mountain.
This self titled release of Indie, Art Rock, Pop and baroque music from Annie Clark alias St. Vincent will leave a mark for sure. Her guitar skills and atmosphere are well used and she have a nice voice that can create nice textures for the kind of pop and chamber rock she offers. Even if the artwork is more mysterious than the music itself, St. Vincent feels like an album that is complete and deeply thought. It is the kind of album that can reach a broad audience while being very visceral and attractive.

Definitely, since I haven’t listened to her other albums, I can’t make no comparisons and rank it. But as the album is what it is I think that she will be an artist worth following for everything she does. Her contribution to the music of today, which is now just a business of selling, will help younger inspired artists to find their voice and get out of the sellout paths. Probably one of the best pop albums for 2014.

8.5

Music Review : Madball – Hardcore Lives (2014)

Music Review : Madball – Hardcore Lives (2014)

Started as a sideproject of Agnostic Front in 1990, Madball became one of the most respected band of Hardcore history. Setting the standard between the Old School and the New School and being more important than Hatebreed in the genre, Madball have released many albums through the years.

With their latest release, the same classic formula hits it with great effect. Fast tempos, harsh vocals, sing alongs, breakdowns, well everything to get you into that circle pit and dance your head out.

This is an album for fans of hardcore otherwise the typical music lover doesn’t get it apart from the simple guitar riffs and homogenetic selection of songs. As a hardcore enthusiast I can safely say that it is an album I will be visiting quite often since it is a sincere effort from the New York City based band.
Same formula, efficient and exactly right for a fix of Madball in mye ars. But nothing new or game changing.

Since it is a release that is true to its roots; hardcore and targets a very private group of initiated members, it is a mandatory album for fans of the genre. Otherwise, get educated and listen to more bands of the genre to get it and enjoy it.

6.0

Music Review : Opeth – Pale Communion (2014)

Music Review : Opeth – Pale Communion (2014)

 

With their new opus the once Black Death metallers of Opeth have, since Heritage, turned completely into a progressive Rock outfit that can recall the best years of Camel, Genesis, Jethro Tull, and King Crimson just to name a few.

Not that it is a complete surprise, their approach, or I should write the mastermind of Opeth Mikael Akerfeldt’s approach, was always to mix Death metal growls with clear vocals. Obviously, his friendship with Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree and Blackfield has led him to slowly diverge to his passion from 1970’s progressive Rock.

With Pale Communion, the continuity of Heritage is established as it started with Damnation the other half of Deliverance; one of the greatest two records to ever see the light in the last fifteen years. The D/D albums were completing each other and I called them the black and white duo albums. As stated in interview, Pale Communion is more melodic and contains more vocal melodies. Indeed, it is a far more easier listen than Heritage and more enjoyable record too. It is more Rock than progressive and I’m sure it will be more popular with fans. Not really having any expectations with the album I was surprisingly happy with the entire tracks and I think that if Opeth is to become a progressive Rock band like this record I will continue to follow them. Even if I personnally prefer albums like Blackwater Park for its mix of Death Metal and progressive metal, I might consider dig into more of my 1970’s vinyl collection and mix it with Pale Communion.

Overall, a very good album projecting a nice continuity for Opeth and Akerfeldt’s interest in obscure 1970’s music.

7.3

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson, 2014)

The adventures of Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes), a legendary concierge at a famous hotel from the fictional Republic of Zubrowka between the first and second World Wars, and Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori), the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend.

Inspired by the writings of Austrian-Hungarian author Stefan Zweig, The Grand Budapest Hotel wants so much to be a sophisticated comedy with bits of romantic distinguished characters reminding of the best films of Max Ophüls and Ernst Lubitsch. Knowing that The Earrings of Madame de… is Anderson’s favorite Criterion Collection film, this is no surprise that he would make a film that is inspired by the German master.

However, with all the will and wit that Anderson is known for, his stylistic extravagances and quirky filmmaking style isn’t enough here to make it happen. Monsieur Gustave is not really engaging and Zero is funny but still hard to get. Added to the stylistic signature, the outstanding cast of F. Murray Abraham, Jude Law, Jason Schwartzman, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Saoirse Ronan, Willem Dafoe, Adrien Brody, Mathieu Almaric, Bill Murray, Bob Balaban, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Edward Norton, and Owen Wilson are just a few of the names and many regulars of Anderson’s films.

All those elements couldn’t save the film from being a big mess of a story that goes everywhere and anywhere just for the sake of creating an interesting imagery and using old school visual effects. The hotel looks like a huge cake and despite the saturated look of everything, the adventure does seem forced and characters were probably written for actors that accepted to be in a Wes Anderson picture despite the real use in the story. It is sad that Anderson’s film fells flat because of that. He is a master at writing great ensemble cast stories.

Admitting that I am a big fan of Wes Anderson but not a fan of his latest might demonstrate how even if I vow almost a cult to the director of Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited, and Moonrise Kingdom I honestly couldn’t relate or enjoy The Grand Budapest Hotel as much as I wished I would. Even if it has its moments, it was not enough to save it from being nonchalent, nostalgic in a pointless matter, and a lesser film compared to his overall work. I always let some strikes pass when I really like a director and that he can make films the way he envisions them. Just like Stanley Kubrick who had a vision that was unique and always right. It fells into the average category and lacks of flavor even if any Anderson picture it has lots of sugar.

Music Review : Mastodon – Once More ‘Round the Sun (2014)

Since their sophomore release Remission, I’ve been following the evolution of Mastodon and I actually enjoyed The Hunter more than I would have thought after the first few listens.
With Once More ‘Round  the Sun, they continue with the same hard Rock approach leaving behind their more experimental elements and the stoner sound. It doesn’t mean that it is a bad album. It is far from being bad, but it feels even more commercial and radiophonic than any release they did before. Their sound is still there with the guitars and Brann Dailor’s iconic drumming.
However, there are less showing of solos and technical demonstrations than their previous efforts. This is a matured album that might take many listens to get into completely and actually catch all the glimpse of genius it features.
As a fan, I’m always torn between the progression of a band to a cleaner sound with more melodies and clearer sound structures when one of the aspects I like the most was the excesses of experimentations and many transitions. We are not in Blood Mountain and certainly not in Crack the Skye.
Still, it took me more time to get into it and actually like it. This might be their lesser album but a lesser album by Mastodon is better than many of the better albums by other bands today. Especially this year that was not that generous with music lovers.

7.4

Alternate Vinyl Cover

Music Review : Mogwai – Rave Tapes (2014)

Mogwai – Rave Tapes (2014)

The highly prolific post-rock outfit of Mogwai has done it again with another high scoring album true to their standard. My last contact with the band was with their great Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will.