It Prevails - Findings [2010] [EP] [V0]

It Prevails is a five piece melodic hardcore band hailing from Portland, Oregon. Formed in 2004, they are currently based out of Denver, Colorado. The band draws influence from 90’s metal/hardcore and classic rock. Bands like Shai Hulud, Twelve Tribes, Strongarm, Lifetime, and Hot Water Music were on constant rotation at hangouts during their inception. A premium was placed on lyrics related to struggles of the human condition and altruistic actions. It Prevails released a four song EP, “Indelible” in 2005, their debut album “The Inspiration” in ‘07 on Rise Records, their sophomore effort, “Capture & Embrace” in ‘09 on Rain City Records and have new self-released EP, titled “Findings.” The release date for findings was May 25th, 2010. The official IP site is www.myspace.com/itprevails.

Limited Edition 10" Vinyl, Picture Disc 500 Copies

1. Placed In My Hands
2. Something More
3. Mend Again

Torrent:
It Prevails - Findings [2010] [EP] [V0]

It Prevails' The Inspiration is easily, easily Rise Records' best release in nearly four whole years, assuming Fear Before the March of Flames' Odd How People Shake made at all an impact on you. Perhaps it's because "the inspiration" for It Prevails is Shai Hulud and not the silly, often directly exploited antics of Christian breakdown metalcore.

So sure, The Inspiration does sound noticeably like Shai Hulud -- but thankfully nothing like Hatebreed or Bury Your Dead as their one-sheet professes. But the potent combination the band possesses is one not often heard in modern hardcore despite being ushered in by Hulud so many years ago: super melodic and upbeat guitars met with an intense bark and post-hardcore pacing.

It Prevails do a solid job of pulling the listener in with that plus the occasionally atmospheric touch of Beloved and an impressive display of dynamics. When the band do delve into chug riffs, it's incredibly momentary; unlike most of their praying-at-the-mosh-altar peers, It Prevails know better than to drag it out -- "Thirst for a Better End" constantly dips its toes into those riffs' territory without shamelessly diving right in, with even its 11-second breakdown featuring creative guitar theatrics. "My Life Back" is similar, with a surely crowd-involving refrain of "I took the fall of my life / And I got back up." "To Fail..." and "Man.Moment.Machine," while sequenced too close together and potentially just filler, are nicely soothing instrumental breaks all the same. The title track and one of the album's standouts closes out the near-half-hour with a welcoming fast pace and lots of neat changes peppered throughout it.

In this day and age I honestly would take The Inspiration's title as meandering bullshit, but shockingly, it is inspired. If Shai Hulud do fail to deliver the proper followup to 2003's That Within Blood Ill-Tempered this year, It Prevails may have provided a somewhat palatable substitution.

-2nd Album Review

http://www.myspace.com/itprevails

Haste the Day - Attack of the Wolf King [2010] [320kbps]

Over the lifespan of Haste The Day, a plethora of line-up changes have occurred, with one standing out in particular. This alteration seemingly left the band for dead, with no apparent signs of life to be found, as their heart and soul was now elsewhere. As most have probably inferred by now, I speak of the departure of harsh vocalist Jimmy Ryan, the glue that held together Haste The Day through their first two albums. Known for his unique fry-screams, Ryan was the main reason that the group stood out in the new wave of Metalcore bands. Once he was gone though, most fans dismissed the band as a lost cause, which turned out to be quite the unintelligent move. Rather then throwing in the towel, the band quickly made Stephen Keech their new vocalist and stormed back into the Melodic Metalcore scene with two solid albums. Now on their third album without Ryan, Haste The Day is still showing no signs of stopping with Attack Of The Wolf King.

Torrent:
Haste the Day - Attack of the Wolf King [2010] [320kbps]

Tracklist:
01. Wake Up The Sun ( 3:23
02. Dog Like Vultures ( 3:46
03. The Quiet, Deadly Ticking ( 2:49
04. Travesty ( 3:59
05. Merit For Sadness ( 3:12
06. Un-Manifest ( 3:15
07. The Place That Most Deny ( 3:58
08. White As Snow ( 4:40
09. Crush Resistance ( 3:16
10. Walk With A Crooked Spine ( 3:41
11. My Name Is Darkness ( 2:26

Special Edition Bonus Tracks:
12. Meet Me Half Way (Black Eyed Peas Cover) ( 4:05
13. Blue 42 (Live in Auckland, New Zealand) ( 6:46
14. Pressure The Hinges (Live In Capetown, South Africa) ( 4:40

Artist: Haste the Day
Album: Attack of the Wolf King
Label: Solid State Records
Playtime: 53:56 min
Genre: Hardcore
URL: http://www.myspace.com/hastetheday
Size: 94.12 MB
Type: Normal
Quality: 237 kbps / 4410kHz / Joint Stereo

To start things off, a major component that deserves recognition when speaking of Haste The Day’s new sound is the mixing of vocals by Keech and bass guitarist Michael Murphy. The duo’s singing styles are a perfect example of polar-opposites, yet they contrast each other seemingly well through out the album, with Keech as the harsh vocalist and Murphy as the clean vocalist. Although not the most unique harsh vocals to be heard, Keech’s vocals hold a large sense of emotion to them, as the listener can almost feel his anger and despair with every scream erupting from their speakers (Ex. Crush Resistance). Murphy’s high-pitched clean vocals serve as a refreshing break from the onslaught of harsh rasps, thus making room for a larger variation of song structures that wouldn’t be possible if Keech did all the work. Adding on to the already-potent pair of Murphy and Keech are the interesting lyrics they convey, (“From their teeth, and their blood will spill like water in a fountain for thieves and liars, so bare your teeth and sharpen your claws, because we hold the keys”) which delve into topics such as the story of the Wolf King. It may sound ridiculous at first, but once one really considers the meaning and metaphors behind the lines, they can be seen in a whole new light.

Moving forward, something that must be pointed out is the new and improved instrumentals. With two new guitarists on board for Attack Of The Wolf King, many fans had no idea what to expect, making the results quite startling on first listen. Haste The Day possess two guitarists, Dave Krysl and Scotty Whelan, both whom stepped up to the plate and delivered. Through out the album, the riffs have a much more solid sound than ever before, with technical yet appealing high pitched Drop-C riffs aplenty. Another nice aspect of the new guitar work is the larger variation in pace, as it moves from quick riffing to a slower sounding riff, then back to a quick riff again, all in a split second. When listening to the drum work on Attack Of The Wolf King, major improvements can be heard right away also with the addition of Giuseppe Capolupo, who is on board for his first Haste The Day album. Rather than going with the “Chug Chug Chug” approach like many Melodic Metalcore bands do, Capolupo keeps up with the rest of the group, only showing off his double bass skills when necessary. Now, I don’t mean to say he isn’t a talented drummer, but more so that he knows the time and place for going crazy on the drum-kit. This practical approach is not only rare in Haste The Day’s respective genre, but it fits the album perfectly too.

Haste The Day has come a long way over the past nine years, and with Attack Of The Wolf King, they have once again proven that they can pull together a wonderful album, with or without the man who was the band's heart and soul.

Recommended Tracks:
Dogs Like Vultures
Merit For Sadness
White As Snow

Parkway Drive - Deep Blue [2010] [Album] [320kbps]

Australia's biggest hardcore-metal band Parkway Drive have delivered the long-awaited follow-up to 2007's hard-hitting breakout album Horizons just in time to unleash the new tracks as they storm the Warped Tour all summer. Determined to surpass previous efforts, Parkway Drive have gone all out in creating a complete listening experience. While maintaining the band's trademark sound at its core, "Deep Blue" weaves music, lyrics and artwork together into a dense concept that flows from beginning to end.

Download:

Google: "Parkway Drive - Deep Blue [2010] [Album] [320kbps]"

MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/parkwaydrive

Music label:
Epitaph Records

Label's site:
http://www.epitaph.com/

Country:
Australia

Tracklist:
1. Samsara
2. Unrest
3. Sleepwalker
4. Wreckage
5. Dead Weight
6. Alone
7. Pressures
8. Deliver Me
9. Karma
10. Home Is For The Heartless
11. Hollow
12. Leviathan I
13. Set To Destroy

Despite it’s almost unbearable bad moments, Deep Blue does contain quite a bit of great material. All breakdowns aside, Jeff Ling and Luke Kilpatrick know how to pull some greats riffs out of the bag; while songs such as “Deadweight” offer great past paced , groove filled and melodic riffs, “Wreckage” features the sublime guitar tapping that has become a keystone in Parkway Drive sound. Strangely enough, Deep Blue also features a fair bit of atmospheric playing, a stark contrast from the majority of most met­alcore. “Alone” (which opens with a beautiful clean picked guitar intro) features a great bit of atmosphere filled playing that is made even greater with its incorporation into chug­ging metalcore style riffs.

As it has always been, vocalist Winston McCall remains to be the best part of Parkway Drive; his range and ferocity and overall ability is definitely one the best to be featured in metalcore. Capable high pitched rasps as well as low, deep gutturals (“Pressures”) the man is capable of doing anything and doing it well. Although Ben Gordon is a standard metal drummer, that is nothing to be ashamed about; “Unrest” features some awe­some hardcore influenced drumming and “Leviathan I” incorporates well played blast beats amongst other techniques.

With Deep Blue Parkway Drive has the made the record everyone was expecting them to make; a fact that comes with an equal amount of negative and positive attributes. If you weren’t a fan of the bands previous material, then don’t even bother checking this out; you will most definitely hate it. However, if you were a fan of the bands past material, then you will certainly find Deep Blue to be another enjoyable album in Parkway Drive’s discography.

Emarosa - Emarosa [2010] [Album] [V2]

Emarosa's much anticipated follow up to their critically acclaimed debut album, Relativity, lives up to the hype. Two years in the making, the bands new self-titled album is the true definition of the band and their sound. Sometimes it takes an album to fully acknowledge who you are. This modern day masterpiece was produced by famed producer Brian McTernan (Circa Survive, Sense Fail). Jonny Craig, the frontman and singer, has gained a lot of recognition this past year and has been hailed as the scenes best singer. After hearing this new album, it will be hard to argue that bold statement.

Artist: Emarosa
Album: Emarosa
Label: Rise Records
Playtime: 38:06 min
Genre: Hardcore
URL: http://www.myspace.com/emarosa
Size: 64.11 MB
Type: Normal
Quality: 223 kbps / 4410kHz / Joint Stereo

Album info
01. A Toast to the Future Kids ( 3:49
02. Pretend.Relive.Regret ( 4:09
03. Share the Sunshine Young Blood ( 3:00
04. Truth Hurts While Laying On Your Back ( 3:40
05. Live It. Love It. Lust It ( 3:52
06. The Game Played Right ( 4:04
07. Broken vs the Way We Were Born ( 4:31
08. I Still Feel Her Pt 4 ( 3:26
09. The Weight of Love Blinds Eyes ( 3:35
10. We Are Life ( 4:00

Torrent:
Emarosa - Emarosa [2010] [Album] [V2]

The Ghost Inside - Returners [2010] [320kbps]

Perfect. That’s pretty much all I can say about The Ghost Inside’s second full length album, Returners. Calling Los Angeles their home, this incredible five piece is truly talented beyond belief. The only exposure I’ve had to these guys is vocalist Jonathan Vigil’s guest vocals on Hundredth’s When Will We Surrender. And although I really enjoyed that album, I didn’t expect anything amazing from Returners; but let me tell you, amazing is exactly what I got! This album has everything you could ask for; not only from a record, but also from a band. These guys deliver melodic hardcore that’s so catchy, you’ll find yourself singing along even when you don’t know the words.

Torrent:
The Ghost Inside - Returners [2010] [320kbps]

Tracklist:

01. Walk Away From The World
02. Greater Distance
03. Between The Lines
04. Unspoken
05. Overlooked
06. Chrono
07. The Conflict
08. Downbeat
09. The Returner
10. Through the Cracks
11. Truth and Temper

According to Vigil, Returners is a concept album based on his experience from being on the road and “returning” to important places and people in his life, only to find out that they’ve changed. Vigil states that “no matter how naive [he wants] to be about it, we live in an ever changing world and as much as [he wishes] things could stay ideal forever, its human evolution.” I found it to be a very interesting and bold idea for an album.

From the first track (which is an instrumental), “Walk Away From The World”, to the last, “Truth and Temper”, Returners is full of chunky riffs, loads of bottom end, and KC’s god-like drumming. Lead axe swingers Aaron Brooks and Zach Johnson are both incredibly talented musicians that really deserve time in the genre’s limelight. Their scorching chugging (Hatebreed style) is just plain ridiculous, combining lightning fast riffs and totally deadly breakdowns. Every track on the album delivers devastation, and flows together well to create an awesome combination of gut punches.

Worth noting is the fact that Matt Bruso (ex-Bury Your Dead) contributes guest vocals in “Chrono”. The concept of the song itself is about how we spend the first part of our lives wanting it to speed up, only to spend the rest of our lives wanting it to slow down.

On the production side of things, there isn’t much else I can say other than everything is top notch in all aspects. In my opinion, production can either make or break a band, and this album doesn’t disappoint.

Although The Ghost Inside might not be true trendsetters in terms of doing something that’s never been done before, Returners is an album that has enough going for it that it should be remembered years from now. If you’re into good melodies and big chunky grooves, then this album is definitely for you.

Whitechapel - A New Era of Corruption [2010] [320kbps] [Album]

The conclusion I came to while listening to Whitechapel’s latest offering is that their musical identity lies directly in their English namsake. Simply put, Whitechapel is one of the *few* staunchly deathcore oriented bands that (for better and/or worse) refuse to drop their love affair with epic death metal that is distinctly well … European.

At the end of the day, any album that is worth it’s weight within your iPod rotation is more than likely an album that divides its target audience. An album that pleases as many as it annoys. A New Era of Corruption is very much that album.

Those who will likely feel most disappointed are the casual fans that have hoped for more angular, Meshuggah-esque “Possession” sort of riffs that lifted This is Exile beyond its more generic “prog” deathcore aspirations. But that shouldn’t dissuade listeners from trying out this album. As a Whitechapel album, it’s their strongest … BY FAR. It’s still groovy, but the grooves are much more in service to what are actually strongly written epic metal passages. (Which is what I believe Whitechapel have always aspired to but are only now actualizing.)

How good is this album?

Ironically, it’s an album that far exceeds the technical capabilities of the band who composed it.

Whitechapel’s sound isn’t strong enough to differentiate itself from the dearth of blast beat driven, Drop A tuned bands that seek to out “brutal” each other. It is purely the Gothenburg-esque sound of A New Era of Corruption that immediately makes it stand out from a scene that is almost *solely* influenced by 90s American hardcore metal. (Again, very ironic given the special guest vocals of Deftones’ frontman Chino Moreno.)

As odd as it may sound, a patient ear is required for Whitechapel’s latest. Prepare yourself as the outright headbanging moments are few and far in between. Even I found certain riffs belabored and elementary in execution, but overall, the strength of each song allows for a extremely satisfactory experience.

A New Era of Corruption is a good album that delivers many things in spades but unfortunately leaves you wanting more by the end. Thankfully, the album is so listenable that you won’t mind playing through it 3-4 times to get your devil horn fix.

And yes, to answer your question, when Whitechapel actually DO bring the absolute onslaught of triple guitar brutality on this album … it is ***ing sweet.

-Sputnik

Torrent:
Whitechapel - A New Era of Corruption [2010] [320kbps] [Album]

Tracklist:
1. Devolver
2. Breeding Violence
3. The Darkest Day Of Man
4. Reprogrammed To Hate
5. End Of Flesh
6. Unnerving
7. A Future Corrupt
8. Prayer Of Mockery
9. Murder Sermon
10. Necromechanical
11. Dehumanization

Attack Attack! with Jason Cameron and McSwagger - Attack Attack! [2010] [Album]

NEW ALBUM!!

Attack Attack! is a six-piece American band from Columbus, Ohio. The group is currently signed to Rise Records.

Torrent:

Attack Attack! - Attack Attack! [2010] [Album]

Tracklist:

01. Sexual Man Chocolate (3:18)
02. Renob Nevada (3:15)
03. I Swear Ill Change (3:40)
04. Shut Your Mouth (2:45)
05. A For Andrew (3:23)
06. Smokahontas (3:54)
07. AC-130 (1:48)
08. Fumbles O Brian (2:57)
09. Turbo Swag (3:33)
10. Lonely (5:38)

The band is commonly confused with the Welsh alternative rock band Attack! Attack!, which have two exclamation points. Despite this common error, the bands each play completely different styles of music from one another. Whenever the Welsh Attack! Attack! get press attention from or tour the US, they are officially referred to as Attack! Attack! UK. It is said to be likewise when the US Attack Attack! get UK attention, they will be referred to as Attack Attack! USA.

Super 8-Bit Brothers - Brawl [2010] [V2] [Album]

Chicago's electronic pop group Super 8-Bit Brothers is the side project of Tub Ring's Rob Kleiner and Kevin Gibson. Along with playing video game conventions across the country, Super 8-Bit Brothers have found themselves on stage with bands such as Mindless Self Indulgence, Electric Six and Foxy Shazam. Their new album (and The End Records debut) Brawl is their first since 2005's acclaimed Melee (both albums are named after the widely popular Super Smash Brothers games).

Although Brawl sounds more mature than their previous album Melee,their lyrical content and humor remain the same. The pounding beats and off-key horns in "Blinky Loves Pepper" make for a great dance tune. The highlight of the song is the sudden acoustic transition at the end. "Roll It Up" bounces around with its doo-wop influenced chorus. "8-Bit Lullaby" is a beautiful piano-driven song about a young gamer who doesn't want to sleep. "Next Generation" features tight programming along with smooth vocals from Gibson.

While most of the album rolls through easily,there are a few tracks that fall short. "Skillz" sounds too much like a Mindless Self Indulgence B-side. "Cheap-O" features the most bland vocals that Gibson has ever done in either Super 8-Bit Brothers or Tub Ring. Lines like "I spam projectiles as I watch your erectile dysfunction" also make the song unlistenable. The childish nature of "Don't Sell the Barrels to the Monkey" instantly makes it a throwaway track.

Overall,Brawl will please Super 8-Bit Brothers fans and gain new fans with its infectious electronic hooks and video-game references. Super 8-Bit Brothers are making something odd yet fun at the same time. Let's just hope that we won't have to wait for the next Super Smash Brothers game in order to hear some music from these gents.

Torrent:
Super 8-Bit Brothers - Brawl [2010] [V2] [Album]

Tracklist:
01. Cyber Space Sirens / Computer Casanovas
02. The Shadow Me
03. Blinky Loves Pepper
04. Skillz
05. 2600 Refugee
06. Roll It Up
07. Armies Unlimited
08. 8 Bit Lullaby
09. Goodbye Cruel World (of Warcraft)
10. All Directions
11. Cheap-O
12. Don’t Sell the Barrels to the Monkey
13. Brawl
14. Geeks No More
15. Next Generation

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago in the 80's was a great time and place to be a kid. With plenty of bad weather and middle class parents, video games and music in the basement was where it was at. Merging the two past times into an artistic endeavor seemed like an obvious choice for Super 8 Bit Brothers' masterminds Rob Kleiner (Tub Ring, ex-Mindless Self Indulgence) and Kevin Gibson (Tub Ring, pet lover).

Super 8 Bit Brothers combines danceable indie pop with lyrics ripe with arcade lingo for people who'd rather stay inside or do a basement boogie.

Performing live since 2004 at video game conventions and rock clubs with such artists as Mindless Self Indulgence, Electric Six, Foxy Shazam, The Mini Bosses, Null Sleep, The Show is the Rainbow, Bit Shifter and Gil Mantera's Party Dream. Their stylish remixes have also charted on both the Billboard top 200 and CMJ top 200. In 2008 they performed live on Fox's "Fearless TV". 'Melee,' the bands 1st record, was released independantly in 2005 which started a buzz in both the music and video game community.

After some time working in their underground labs, S8BB decided it was time to present their new album 'Brawl' full of dance numbers and sing a long hits. Equally ready to fill the sonic space of rock clubs, arcades, and dance parties!

Sleigh Bells - Treats [2010] [320kbps] [Album]

Once in a while a record comes along that makes you re-think loud: King of Rock; The Land of Rape and Honey; Nation of Millions; Super Ae; I Get Wet; Kesto. Setting aside the quality of the material-- there are classics here, along with albums I never listen to anymore-- these albums are notable for me because the first time I heard them, music just seemed bigger than it had before, like it took up more space and hit with more force and went further than once seemed possible. When I was getting into these records, I'd get a specific kind of kick just from putting them on. They felt like rides at an amusement park, and I'd get a feeling in my stomach when the first notes kicked in: Here we go. I'm adding another record to my list.

Demos of songs from Sleigh Bells' Treats first started making their way around the Internet last fall, and they immediately served as conversation starters. The distortion in early track "Crown on the Ground" was so intense that every other second the song seemed on the verge of shutting down. But while Derek Miller's overdriven guitar and bass were distressed in the extreme, vocalist Alexis Krauss remained calm as chaos raged around her. Her cadence, somewhere at the intersection of singing, speaking, and chanting, conveyed an easy confidence, like she belonged in the middle of this maelstrom and knew she didn't need to shout to be heard. The contrast between her relaxed bearing-- where she seemed to rule over it all-- and the dangerous splatter of the music was striking to say the least. It was as easy to be taken in as it was to understand why someone else might be repelled. I felt some of both feelings, to be honest, but I also wanted to hear more.

Released May 11, 2010 under M.I.A.'s label N.E.E.T

[ dream.crunk / noise.pop / indie / electronic / experimental ]

Torrent:
Sleigh Bells - Treats [2010] [320kbps] [Album]

Tracklist:

1. "Tell 'Em"
2. "Kids"
3. "Riot Rhythm"
4. "Infinity Guitars"
5. "Run the Heart"
6. "Rachel"
7. "Rill Rill"
8. "Crown on the Ground"
9. "Straight A's"
10. "A/B Machines"
11. "Treats"

Treats delivers completely on the promise of those demos. Sleigh Bells haven't stopped living the red, but the improved recording quality makes songs including "Crown on the Ground" that much heavier, and the duo have managed to extend their uncomplicated formula across 11 tracks without it wearing thin. The combination of the music's essentials-- jackhammer riffs clipped from punk and metal, mid-tempo beats from hip-hop and electro, and supremely catchy sing-song melodies-- is striking on its own, sounding remarkably fresh and unlike anything else right now. But an even greater source of the record's appeal is how it doesn't sound especially referential.

When so much music seems designed to evoke the mood and vibe of a specific era, either through direct imitation or playing with the memories of the music's context, Sleigh Bells deftly avoid any single pigeonhole. There are references, but it never feels like the music is merely pointing. Genre here is something to be twisted around and pulled and braided with something else, a mangled container struggling to hold the energy and ecstasy of the music. They gather up bits from all over and use them to create music that puts you squarely in the present moment.

The music hits so hard, and in such a satisfying way, and it seems designed to bring you back to the totality of the sound. It's hard to say what the songs are about, since so many words are so difficult to make out, but they work. The lyrics of "A/B Machines" consist only of, "Got my A machines on the table/ Got my B machines in the drawer," repeated over and over, and who am I to question Krauss on this point? We're talking about "a-wop bop a-loo bop a-lop bam boom" and "Da Doo Ron Ron" here, which is just right for what the music tries for.

So my ear on "A/B Machines" goes to the searing guitar lead, which screeches out a few penetrating notes, and then pauses on the clanging low-end and the interludes and Western-sounding guitar rumble. And on the opening "Tell 'Em", the focus goes to the call-and-response drum machine pummel, soaring riff, and finger snaps compressed into sharp little diamonds, as Krauss chirps a short, repetitive melody with the insistence of a pep rally cheer. "Rill Rill" takes the immortal acoustic guitar bit from Funkadelic's "Can You Get to That", blows it up to Hollywood blockbuster size, and loops it along with clicking percussion as Krauss sings what may prove to be the pop earworm of the year, the kind of tune you'd swear you were singing over and over to yourself years ago. "Straight A's" has some of the electro-punk rage of Crystal Castles, the less frantic tracks like "Rachel" have a bit of shoegaze, and the pacing of the album is just so, taking you right to edge in one song and then pulling you back a few inches in the next.

Though both Krauss and Miller have been making music for a while-- he in the hardcore band Poison the Well, she in some kind of manufactured teen-pop group that never got off the ground-- it's easy to see them as a connected band with the right gimmick at the right time. They live in New York, they've played hip shows for important people, and from the beginning the online chatter has been almost as deafening as the guitar tones. But what works in their favor is that they've taken advantage of these breaks and marshaled their talent to make something that oozes joy. There's spirit to this music, and the sonic assault is celebratory, asking only that you come along with it and join in. All of which, for me, anyway, makes the hype melt away. And if it's true that records this intense and exhilarating don't always sustain themselves over the long haul, that's not a worry either. The visceral thrill of Treats may not last forever, but neither does life; right now, this feels like living it.

— Mark Richardson, May 14, 2010 - PITCHFORK

Trentemøller - Into the Great Wide Yonder [2010] [320kbps] [Album]

Denmark's Trentemøller is one of the more intriguing electronic producers to emerge in recent years. Although part of the dance scene - entertaining revellers in Ibiza during the summer months and remixing the likes of Röyksopp, Moby and Robyn -, his goth tendencies are no secret. His debut artist album The Last Resort, despite being categorised as minimal electronica, frequently sounded like it could accompany a David Lynch film. Then on the excellent 'mix' album Harbour Boat Trips Vol.1 - Copenhagen he laid bare his musical influences: the emphasis was on downbeat acoustic arrangements, scuzzy rock and hazy vocals rather than dance.

Into The Great Wide Yonder continues the soundtrack-y feel of The Last Resort, but plays down the bleeps in favour of more guitar, much of which has that familiar Lynchian twang. (Think Twin Peaks in particular.) Opener 'The Mash and The Fury' is as grand a track as you'll hear this year, its massive refrain suggestive of both the brutality of nature and heroic, conquering spirit. You can bet your last tenner that it'll soon be ubiquitous TV incidental music, accompanying images of people striking out into the wilderness or climbing mountains.

The other major difference this time round is the inclusion of vocals on a number of tracks. Those looking forward to hearing his collaboration with Fyfe Dangerfield will be disappointed; it's too wispy to leave much of an impression. Single 'Sycamore Feeling' sits better here than it does alone and, along with 'Tide', is where he's channelled his love for husky-to-the-point-of-unintelligible female vocals and gothy backing. However, the best shot at songwriting is '...Even Though You're With Another Girl'. The longing 50s feel of the title subtly colours the track - and, with its xylophone and odd lurching beat, you could quite imagine a red and blue bathed gal singing it on a stage in a Lynch film.

The main problem with Into The Great Wide Yonder is many of the instrumental tracks are underwhelming given the often stark beauty achieved without words on The Last Resort; aside from 'The Mash and the Fury', only really the pounding 'Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider Go!!!' (imagine DJ Shadow remixing Dick Dale) stands out. Into The Great Wide Yonder is certainly a comedown from Trentemøller's stunning debut, but, as suggested in an interview elsewhere on the web, this is an autumnal record which may sound better later in the year.

Trentemøller - Into the Great Wide Yonder [2010] [320kbps] [Album]

Tracklist:

01. The Mash And The Fury (7:00)
02. Sycamore Feeling (6:06)
03. Past The Beginning Of The End (6:19)
04. Shades Of Marble (5:53)
05. ... Even Though You're With Another Girl (4:52)
06. Häxan (5:11)
07. Metamorphis (2:05)
08. Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider Go!!! (4:23)
09. Neverglade (4:33)
10. Tide (7:45)

Maps & Atlases - Perch Patchwork [2010] [320kbps] [Album]

One of my favorite bands, Maps & Atlases, have just announced that they will be releasing their debut full-length album Perch Patchwork on June 29th on Barsuk Records. I have had the pleasure of seeing them live several times, each time they were great, and their prior 2 EPs are excellent as well. Yet another great Chicago band, and I really can’t wait to hear the new material. Singer/Guitarist David Davison returns to work with the band after his solo album with the Cast Spells project, which was released last year (and was also great). In addition to the big album release news, they have also announced a run of pre-album release tour dates around the country, some opening, some headlining, some with the great Frightened Rabbit, but definitely check them out if you get a chance. Great stuff live. The full list of tour dates is below, as well as a track from the upcoming album called “Solid Ground”.

Torrent:

Maps & Atlases - Perch Patchwork [2010] [320kbps] [Album]

Tracklist:

Will
The Charm
Living Decorations
Solid Ground
Is
Israeli Caves
Banished Be Cavalier
Carrying The Wet Wood
Pigeon
If This Is
Was
Perch Patchwork

Maps and Atlases found their beginnings at Columbia in 2004 and have recorded two EPs prior to Perch Patchwork -work that garnered comparisons to TV on the Radio and Deerhoof. For those who haven't heard the band's previous work, you'll find a group who is certainly talented, inventing their own brand of indie folk pop complete with custom guitar playing methods. Though "Perch" is catchy as hell, none of the songs stand out as particularly special.

Instead Perch Patchwork comes off sounding as if producer Jason Cupp manipulated the band's signature quirk into a palatable mainstream framework that could potentially alienate old fans while attracting a new and perhaps less indie base of listeners.

David Davison's unique and brassy vocals highlight the group's folk routes on an album clearly about breaking up. The second track on the album, "The Charm" finds Davison crooning "I don't think there is a sound that I hate more than the sound of your voice, when you say that you don't love me anymore." The tragic lyrics continue against a backdrop of ironically upbeat music throughout the album. While Erin Elders' acclaimed slap guitar playing still sounds interesting, many of the songs on Perch Patchwork sound too similar, for instance "Solid Ground" and "Pigeon." Having a common thread or theme on an album is certainly necessary, but Maps and Atlases may have pushed theirs a touch too far on this most recent effort.

Despite all these criticisms, one would be remiss to deny pop lure of the tunes on Perch Patchwork. Regardless of their similarities, the album-as one big song-gets caught in a listener's head after a single play through. The blend of folk and pop is almost pastoral and reminiscent of the group's mid-western roots. If not an album to absolutely love, Maps and Atlases have created a piece that at least has a little something for everyone.

Perch Patchwork comes out on Barsuk Records June 29th 2010. Catch Maps and Atlases opening for Frightened Rabbit at the Metro this Saturday, May 8th at 8pm. - Erin Keane

How to Destroy Angels - How to Destroy Angels [2010] [320kbps] [EP]

How To Destroy Angels is a band featuring Nine Inch Nails' mastermind Trent Reznor, his wife Mariqueen Maandig (formerly of West Indian Girl), and longtime collaborator Atticus Ross (12 Rounds).

In April 2010, it was announced via the group's PR company (Nasty Little Man) that they will release a 6 song EP in the summer. The first complete song, "A Drowning", was published on the Internet on May 4th, 2010. It is mixed by another longtime NIN collaborator, Alan Moulder.

Nine Inch Nails' photographer and art director Rob Sheridan is rumored also to be involved in the project in some way.

The group is named after a 1984 Coil EP of the same name.

They offer the album at their store @ 320kbps for free! Though you have to submit your email addy and they'll send it to you.

http://www.howtodestroyangels.com/store/

Track listing:

1. "The Space In Between" 3:35
2. "Parasite" 5:05
3. "Fur Lined" 4:00
4. "BBB" 3:31
5. "The Believers" 5:36
6. "A Drowning" 7:04

Listening to Reznor’s first “Hey douchebags, this isn’t NIN” project, it’s hard to not notice the NIN similarities-but the lack of them as well. This little six-track EP has enough standards to live up to; Trent’s track record being nearly perfect with the exception of the 2005 release that NIN fans tend to look over. Any way you look at it, however, this is an extremely patchy release that just seems a bit sloppy and under-thought. Maybe Trent got too excited at the idea of working with his wife and threw an EP out for the hell of it, but the album is far too inconsistent to stand up to Trent’s normal standards.

The name, “How to Destroy Angels”, borrowed from Coil (a long time Reznor collaborator and inspiration), obviously is an indicator this is going to be old-school industrial sound. It is-to a point. A lot of the album is reminiscent to Throbbing Gristle’s comeback album, and some is even a bit similar to older, dance inspired industrial bands (Front Line Assembly, etc.). But just because you obviously have taken influence from Nitzer Ebb doesn’t make it any less apparent that a song is a funky, danceable bastard child to Discipline and Only. The song I’m referring to is Fur Lined. Mariqueen’s vocals hide under layers of distortion, and slap bass; harking back to the 1980s industrial scene, but the song is enough to make any NIN fan scratch their head. The crunchy noise at the end is quite awesome, but it’s not enough to make the song passable. It’s like a bad rave dance party soundtrack.

The rest of the album is better, if a bit inconsistent. The Space in Between, as dark and haunting as ever, is just downright disturbing. The drone beat in the back is as unsettling as ever-but Mariqueen’s soaring chorus vocals and the awkwardly haunting instrumentation is quite excellent. Parasite is absolute sonic annihilation-taking the abrasion of The Great Destroyer to greater levels. This one also is quite dark, as Trent and Mariqueen harmonize their voices into one haunting hum, making the feeling quite uncomfortable. Noise drives the track, bringing up the Throbbing Gristle impressions-but the repetitive dance beat is closest to Front Line Assembly. There’s nothing really memorable about it though-just as if Trent, Atticus, and Mariqueen decided to **** around with their synthesizers. Then you have BBB, which is just a lot like a typical drone NIN chant…and it’s also an oddly sexual. It's also a ridiculously funky song. However-the song’s potential excellence is pretty much thrown to the wayside by the chorus line of “Listen to the sound of my big black boots”. What the hell is all that you need to ask yourself. Scary thoughts of a 50 year old Bono singing “Sexy boots” comes to mind, and needs to go away.

However, in typical Trent fashion, the end is always the best. The Believers is like a jungle-Ghosts-song-with-vocals. It’s one of the best songs he’s ever written. You can nearly hear the wind blowing in your ears-and the glitching electronics go well with the old-school sounds thrown throughout the song. The end may be one of the best Trent noise solos, and Mariqueen’s vocals are spot on…as disturbing and unnerving as ever. A Drowning ends the album rather epically-even if it’s a bit timid. The splotches of noise, combined with the piano is like The Fragile-era Trent coming back to life-and Mariqueen’s whimsical chants at the end just eschew beauty. The ending is beautiful and epic-like only Trent can do. The noise ends, gives way to piano.

The lyrics are pretty average, Mariqueen’s voice is normally a bit too hidden, but for a man who has been hidden under the NIN moniker for years, this is, at the very least, promising for the future. When he dares to break out and experiment a bit, his excellence shines, such as in The Space in Between or The Believers. But when he falls back into the tried-and-true methods of pseudo-industrial cheese 80s pop, he severely fails. Look, Trent we know you grew up on A-ha and bands you played keyboard for called Slam Bamboo. But, dude, adding a glitching soundscape at the end doesn’t hide the fact that you made a horrific rave dance party song. Not to mention the EP has no identity. Is this pop music? No. Is this hard industrial? No. Is this noise? No. Is this dark ambient music? No. You really have no idea. It’s all of them slammed into 30 minutes.

Anyway, if you like glitchy NIN music, old-school industrial, and haunting vocals, you’ll probably enjoy it. Lyrics are average, nearly ruin a few songs, the songs are inconsistent, and with the exception of a few, not too memorable. But it's promising, and The Believers is freaking incredible. At the very least, it proves one thing-if Trent and Mariqueen ever have kids, Moog synthesizers will be running through that kid’s veins.

Taken from Sputnik