I have so many albums. Why do I want more? There’s a paradox in record collecting. The more you find, the more you need to keep up with. That means for every new band you find there’s an exponential expectation in keeping up with their next releases, and so on. I don’t want to give it up. Spotify is the insta-cure nicotine patch to my addiction - but no. Tidal? Fuck that. I have convinced myself that my $10,000+ hi-fi deserves better than bitcrushed - or even slightly bit-squeezed - filth. Is my hi-fi really that expensive? It felt that way at the time, let me tell you. It’ll outlast me or my children, if I end up having any.
So what’s in my car stacker THIS month? Well, it’s a bit of a mixed bag…
Soen - Memorial
Silver Lining Music (2023)
The brainchild of former Opeth drummer Martin Lopez, Soen has blossommed into a force unto its own. Their sixth album in a decade, this is the one that’ll go down in history as a balance of violence and melody; guitar heroism and hard reflection. Baritone Joel Ekelöf’s passionate performances compliment tight and fretbending songwriting. Acousti-ballad Hollowed feat. Eliza, tinged with howling country rock sadness and sprawling strings may go down as their God Only Knows moment. A five-out-of-five banger from front to back.
Green Lung - This Heathen Land
Nuclear Blast Records (2023)
Green Lung’s rise like green smoke to the upstairs apartment have them under the aegis of Nuclear Blast Records, which must mean they’re going places. This Heathen Land hears them switching from indica to sativa; the big bombastic fuck you neighbours riffs of their first two are kinda replaced by utter and complete 70s heavy rock worship: Queen-ish twin leads, groovy Deep Purple riffs, and Uriah Heep style hammonds buzzing up and down the octaves. All that’s missing is Lee Dorrian writhing against cosplay witches being paid way too little to put up with his shit.
40 Watt Sun - Wider Than the Sky
Radiance Records/re-issue Svart Records (2016/2023)
Patrick Walker (ex-Warning) and his 12-bar blues is pitch dark. His music feels like rounding tempestuous seas and after all seems lost, sailing into the calm of day. Wider than the Sky isn’t exactly metal (which is why his previous label tried to dump him) but his meandering, passionate lamentations hit way harder than doomsters peddling the devil and eternal damnation. His warbly, strident baritone delivers his poetry like roman candles lighting up a midnight sky - like afterimages in your eyes, this will stay with you long after the disc is done. It’s sombre, tender, and laid-back. But by God is Walker bleeding for us in that recording booth. Incredible stuff.
Warcrab - The Howling Silence
Transcending Obscurity (2023)
It’s true - once I cotton on to something I absolutely adore, I kinda sorta can’t let go of it. The latest sludge-crust-headfuck disc from these British despair dispensers is equal parts stoner nihilism and buzz-saw bloodthirst. Imagine oneself riding into armoured battle stoned as an absolute loon, and you get standout throbber Titan of War. Like the Eau de Parfum of your favourite fragrance, The Howling Silence more intense, refined, and intricate than what they’ve done before. Yowza.
Werewolves - All My Enemies Look and Sound Like Me
Prosthetic Records (2023)
I was joking to myself, by the time I write this up, they’ll have released another record. I wasn’t wrong. Identical to their other records, it’s balls out old school death metal; double kick at ludicrous speeds, wrist-breaking riffage, swirly headbanging, and liberal use of the word fuck, nutsack, and shit-cunt. Remember: a parody of death metal will end up looking like itself. Even if it isn’t completely self-serious, it sure is fucking fun.
Windir - 1184
Head Not Found (2001)
Just like the Snuff Box quote “without the guitar there’d be no pop music, dancing, or magazines,” I think without Windir there’d be no Korpiklaani, Finntroll, or Eluveitie, though you will probably disagree with me (don’t all metalheads?) Frostbitten fuzzy-tremolo and classical folky music meld together in a far less OTT way than say, Dimmu Borgir or Emperor did it at the time. That’s not to say they couldn’t pound out some real hard-hitters like Dance of the Mortal Lust, a glacial wall of distorted sound and gang choruses. I don’t know why I slept on this for so long - but hey, better late than never.