Wednesday, March 3, 2010

DISSECTION- STORM OF THE LIGHT'S BANE; CARCASS- SWANSONG


DISSECTION- STORM OF THE LIGHT'S BANE

I've begun to notice that over the past few months, I've listened almost exclusively to metal. This was a weird realization to come to because I used to hate metal, so the fact that I'm suddenly seeking it out so actively is weird to me, but I love it.

I stumbled upon this gem of a band a few months ago when the only true "metal dude" I went to high school with sent me a youtube video of Dissection. My impression was that it was a wild-eyed, evil-looking bald dude spewing hatred in every direction, and while I enjoyed it greatly, I didn't give it a second thought until I thought about it again a few weeks ago. These dudes are considered "melodic black metal," and I can totally see where they're coming from. This album came out in 1995, and it's got everything from ambience, acoustic guitar, and reverb (plus a piano tune) to blastbeats, double bass, and the like, plus some of the most vicious chord progressions I've heard in a long time. The production on here is also very good, more akin to the stuff Emperor ended up doing than to Mayhem or something, only minus synths. This isn't a very obscure band by any means, but it's a masterpiece well worth checking out.

buy
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CARCASS- SWANSONG

Since the start of my metal binge, three bands have really risen to prominence among what I would consider my all-time favorite bands, period: Sabbath, (vintage) Metallica, and CARCASS. Like what I still consider my favorite band, the Clash, Carcass came a long, long way during their time as a band, and I'm well aware that many who are familiar with their later work (Heartwork or Swansong) can't stand their days as a pioneering goregrind band, and vice versa. That being said, the majority of fans consider Heartwork to be their masterpiece, but while I adore Heartwork, this album is exactly my speed: the riffs are better than ever before, Jeff Walker manages to articulate the lyrics and (surprise!) they don't make me cringe, and the production is utterly sparkling. The solos shred, and Ken Owen's drumming is more inventive than ever before, showcasing an extremely unique and awesome style despite his relative lack of technical prowess compared to, say, Dave Lombardo or Gene Hoglan or something. Anyway, as far as "death 'n' roll" goes, this completely eclipses the previously-posted Wolverine Blues (Entombed), and fans of this should also check out the compilation Wake Up and Smell the Carcass, which features five outtakes from the Swansong sessions as well as some great live cuts.

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