This is the new
band fronted by ex-At the Gates vocalist Tomas Lindberg. Don’t expect a
continuation of ATG’s melodic thrash metal sound, though. Disfear is more of a
straightforward loud rock band with just a touch of metal. Kind of like
Motorhead, ‘To Ride...’ era Entombed, and bands like “Demons” or early
Hellacopters mixed together, but with more hardcore-sounding vocals. It’s a
sound that’s somewhat familiar yet still distinctive. While Disfear’s sound may
not be pure metal, Lindberg’s lyrics would probably have been just as at home on
an At The Gates album as they are here. Lot’s of anger and depression, plus a
tip of the hat to Satan on “The Horns”. As with a lot of bands these days,
Disfear do start to get repetitious after a while. Of the 12 songs here, only
“Never Gonna Last”, “26 Years of Nothing”, and “A Thousand Reasons” really stand
out for me, but overall this is a good album to throw on when you’re in the mood
to vent some frustration. (Bob Ignizio)
This is FLIGHT 09's 2nd release on Rick Ray's Neurosis
Records. I haven't heard the first, "Rifflection", so I'm hearing them for the
first time here. The band hails from Uzbekistan, which makes them interesting
enough. I always love hearing bands from other countries. These guys lean more
towards rock, particularly an early 70's rock mixed with early 80's heavy metal
(not the really raging stuff), but there are fusion elements as well. The trio
consists of Igor Savitch (guitar,keyboard,vocals), Constantine Savitch (bass)
and Art Piyanzin (drums). I expected to hear more of a jazz-fusion aspect but
found instead an unexpected delight of more balladic metal. Maybe next release
they could add a few more up-tempo songs, though - I think it would broaden the
scope of the listening experience. Still, if you’re looking for something a
little different this is a good choice. (Mike Salamone)
Four Tet garnered some
attention this past year when the act opened for post-rock heroes, Radiohead.
The group is actually the genius work of one man, Kieran Hebden. Mixing
intelligent dance music with post rock sensibilities, Four Tet's music is
capable of capturing not only the electronic music crowd, but also the rock
crowd. On the third official release, ‘Rounds’, Hebden melds together an
emotional 10 song epic. From the amazing strings and pianos to the intricate
drum patterns, this record has all the fixings. The opening track, "Hands",
starts off with sputtering noises and bursts into drums that could easily be
found on any indie rock album. The shining moment on the record is a tune
called "My Angel Rocks Back And Forth". The song features an amazing piano loop
that's reminiscent of something Dj Shadow would do. The swaying of the drums is
smooth and captivating. This is the tear-jerker of the record. Fans of music
like Prefuse 73, DJ Shadow, and Vincent Gallo will find this record particularly
appealing, as well as fans of indie/emo bands like Mineral, Kepler, For Stars,
etc. In a world where CDs are clogged with 10 bad tracks and maybe 2 keepers,
"Rounds" is good all the way through. The production is amazing and the samples
are unique. If you need proof that good music still exists, pick up this
record. (Eddie Fleisher)
Hey, another band from Wino, one of the most
underappreciated vocalists in metal today! I love this guys voice and whether
it was with Saint Vitus, The Obsessed or his new band, The Hidden Hand, I love
listening to him sing. Now I just wish I like this album more. The Hidden
Hand's debut album, “Divine Propaganda” is another really heavy album from Wino
and crew, this time with a political slant. I don't know if he has ever delved
into political material before, but he sure has now. The album even includes a
list of books that they feel you should check into if you want to know more
(some of it is very conspiracy theory related, so check 'em out with a skeptical
eye!) The music is quite good, but the problem is there isn't anything here
that we haven't heard before...a lot. It's very Black Sabbathy and of course
there is a lot of Wino's previous projects lingering around here. In fact,
while listening to the album, there were no tracks that stood out from the
others. So what am I trying to say? Well, if you are a fan of Wino and his
previous outings, then this album might be just for you. On the other hand, if
you are looking for some fresh material and a new direction from an established
artist, this probably will disappoint. (Mr. Lee)
This is the new
band fronted by ex-At the Gates vocalist Tomas Lindberg. Don’t expect a
continuation of ATG’s melodic thrash metal sound, though. Disfear is more of a
straightforward loud rock band with just a touch of metal. Kind of like
Motorhead, ‘To Ride...’ era Entombed, and bands like “Demons” or early
Hellacopters mixed together, but with more hardcore-sounding vocals. It’s a
sound that’s somewhat familiar yet still distinctive. While Disfear’s sound may
not be pure metal, Lindberg’s lyrics would probably have been just as at home on
an At The Gates album as they are here. Lot’s of anger and depression, plus a
tip of the hat to Satan on “The Horns”. As with a lot of bands these days,
Disfear do start to get repetitious after a while. Of the 12 songs here, only
“Never Gonna Last”, “26 Years of Nothing”, and “A Thousand Reasons” really stand
out for me, but overall this is a good album to throw on when you’re in the mood
to vent some frustration. (Bob Ignizio)
Four Tet garnered some
attention this past year when the act opened for post-rock heroes, Radiohead.
The group is actually the genius work of one man, Kieran Hebden. Mixing
intelligent dance music with post rock sensibilities, Four Tet's music is
capable of capturing not only the electronic music crowd, but also the rock
crowd. On the third official release, ‘Rounds’, Hebden melds together an
emotional 10 song epic. From the amazing strings and pianos to the intricate
drum patterns, this record has all the fixings. The opening track, "Hands",
starts off with sputtering noises and bursts into drums that could easily be
found on any indie rock album. The shining moment on the record is a tune
called "My Angel Rocks Back And Forth". The song features an amazing piano loop
that's reminiscent of something Dj Shadow would do. The swaying of the drums is
smooth and captivating. This is the tear-jerker of the record. Fans of music
like Prefuse 73, DJ Shadow, and Vincent Gallo will find this record particularly
appealing, as well as fans of indie/emo bands like Mineral, Kepler, For Stars,
etc. In a world where CDs are clogged with 10 bad tracks and maybe 2 keepers,
"Rounds" is good all the way through. The production is amazing and the samples
are unique. If you need proof that good music still exists, pick up this
record. (Eddie Fleisher)
Hey, another band from Wino, one of the most
underappreciated vocalists in metal today! I love this guys voice and whether
it was with Saint Vitus, The Obsessed or his new band, The Hidden Hand, I love
listening to him sing. Now I just wish I like this album more. The Hidden
Hand's debut album, “Divine Propaganda” is another really heavy album from Wino
and crew, this time with a political slant. I don't know if he has ever delved
into political material before, but he sure has now. The album even includes a
list of books that they feel you should check into if you want to know more
(some of it is very conspiracy theory related, so check 'em out with a skeptical
eye!) The music is quite good, but the problem is there isn't anything here
that we haven't heard before...a lot. It's very Black Sabbathy and of course
there is a lot of Wino's previous projects lingering around here. In fact,
while listening to the album, there were no tracks that stood out from the
others. So what am I trying to say? Well, if you are a fan of Wino and his
previous outings, then this album might be just for you. On the other hand, if
you are looking for some fresh material and a new direction from an established
artist, this probably will disappoint. (Mr. Lee)