Listen To This... April 23, 2013

I've been working on a series of posts for a friend of mine. In doing so, I've started a collection of short, creative responses to songs that I've randomly selected - you know, like when a song pops up on your iPod and you're suddenly transported to another place, forgetting about whatever you were doing before. So have a listen to what's been on my mind...

Mastodon

“Curl Of The Burl”

Mastodon has been doing their brand of heavy, prog metal for some time now. Given the other metal I listen to, Mastodon should be an have been easy addition to my regular music rotation. For reasons still unknown, I just couldn’t get into them. The latest album, The Hunter, came with a lot of hype and stellar reviews, but I still couldn’t commit. Seeing them live changed all of that. My friends and I actually arrived late and got inside during the opening part of Mastodon’s set. Watching the quartet weave through years of music, pummeling the audience with new tracks and fan-favorites, was inspiring. Previous albums followed complex story lines and long track times. In contrast, the Hunter is a straight-ahead, seemingly uncomplicated, and even ‘catchy’ metal album, spearheaded by  “Curl Of The Burl,” an infectious romp with tight verses, sing-along chorus, and even a retro breakdown. Under the hue of blue and green stage lights, Mastodon showcased the beauty and complexity in every note they played. On that night, they easily won a fan in me.

Opeth

“The Lotus Eater”

For Opeth, the Swedish metal band (who once stated their desire to be the most evil band ever created), “The Lotus Eater” is a song that encompasses all of the sounds, influences, and aspirations of their 20-plus year career. Death growls, blast beats, clean vocals, swirling guitars, pummeling drums, and a few surprises, await you on an almost 9-minute journey through creative prowess of singer/guitarist Mikael Akerfedt and his band of technical masterminds. I was at the show where the YouTube clip of this song was recorded. It was the first time that I saw Opeth live. It was a hot, dusty day in July and the sun was just starting its afternoon descent toward sunset. Packed in with a sea of like-minded metalheads vanquished any discomfort as Opeth charged into a short, but fully loaded 45-minute set. It’s one thing to hear a track digitally recorded, but another thing entirely to hear how bands are able to tackle every nuance in bringing their songs to life with a live audience. In “The Lotus Eater” Opeth showcases their command of sonic force, elegant phrasing, melody, and dissonance. And the blistering organ solo is one my favorite moments from their 20-year catalog. Embrace the journey and let it take you as far as possible.

Isis

“20 Minutes/40 Years”

On this track, a firm bass growl carries you through the gradual layering of sound and texture that Isis became so well-known for crafting. Soon a raspy vocal growl barks from just above the growing din and quickly melts into a melodic tone, perfectly in concert with the building distortion. The words are nearly incoherent, yet you’re compelled to strain your ears against the sound, like listening for voices through a gale-force wind. Finally, sonic resolution brings anticipated release from swallowing sounds. It lasts only for a moment before the waves of guitar swell and consume you again.

As in many of their songs, the vocal never stands forward in the mix in “20 Minutes/40 Years.” Isis uses the voice as another instrument for the sounds and effect it brings to each musical thought. Just as guitars glide from muddled distortion to ethereal picking, singer/guitarist Aaron Turner’s voice changes to fit the mood; a brief solo before stepping aside for the next passage. We tend to get absorbed by the vocalist, caught up in the showcasing of talent and control over the audience. Its presence and power are taken for granted. But here we find a completely different purpose, as the vocals are integrated into the overall sound. This approach, whether intentional or just a consequence of their style, is both unique and beautiful.

Yes, the songs are long and require dedicated listening to absorb all the nuances, but patience is rewarded. This track is off Isis' final studio album, Wavering Radiant. I highly recommend their other albums, too, including Oceanic and (my personal favorite) Panopticon.

This Is Halloween

Ah yes, it’s Halloween again. The air is brisk, the nights have grown darker and longer, and it’s time to prepare for those little trick-or-treaters to come around begging for your Kit-Kat bars. Right about now you’re digging through the closet of decorations looking for that dusty old cassette tape of ‘scary’ Halloween sounds. Right, because nothing says ‘Halloween horror’ like the muted sounds of creaking doors, hissing cats, and fake footstep wafting out from behind the bushes. In my opinion, toss out that tape and put something a little more metal for your Halloween. With any luck you’ll scare away the little children, annoy your neighbors, and have all of that candy for yourself.

As always, I’m only using song that I own. And no, you won’t find “Werewolves Of London” or “Monster Mash” on this list, so don’t even ask...

1. Marylin Manson – “This Is Halloween” Marylin Manson covers the opening song of Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas, adding another layer of creepiness to Danny Elfman’s original.

2. Rob Zombie – “Dragula,” “Living Dead Girl,” “Superbeast,” the list goes on… Rob Zombie is the architect of the best scary, hypnotic metal and as the director of House Of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects, he is the master of Halloween metal.



3. Opeth – “Demon Of The Fall” Mikeal Akerfedt and company unleash the growls and pummeling beats of Sweden’s best death metal. “Grapsing for another breath / She rose, screaming at the close doors / Seductive faint mist forging / Through the cracks in the wall”



4. DevilDriver – “Monsters Of The Deep,” “Swinging the Dead” Dez Fafara’s unearthly growls gives life and death to DevilDriver’s most monsterous tunes.

5. Ghost Brigade – “Clawmaster” Another death metal band from Sweden, Ghost Brigade lives up it’s name with eerily deep vocals, slow doom rhythm, and ferocious growls. The video for Clasmaster is perfect for your Halloween night.



6. Black Sabbath – “Children Of The Grave” No night of doom and gloom is complete without Black Sabbath. Enough said.

7. Katatonia – “Ghost Of The Sun” Katatonia’s brand of moody metal sets the stage for a night of walking through a misty graveyard.



8. Isis – “Hall Of The Dead” When the world ends, the sounds of Isis will be playing. Their brutally raw metal conjures images of the apocalypse.



9. A Storm Of Light – “Death’s Head” Another dirty, doom metal band, A Storm Of Light shares similarities with bands like Isis, Neurosis, and Ghost Brigade. Dense vocals supported by crushing guitars, these metallers will leave your trick-or-treaters quivering in their little costumes.

10. Slipknot – “Tattered And Torn” A circus can be scary, especially when the soundtrack is supplied by nine crazy dudes in jumpsuits. It sounds like a circus from hell that would be well at home in a Stephen King novel.

End of ISIS

“Eyes are shut, feet are bare / For this journey I'm unprepared” Isis, 20 Minutes / 40 Years

At the end of their tour in 2010, Isis announced that they were calling it quits. The band had accomplished what they set out to do. I have mixed feelings. Isis is the kind of band that requires a certain amount of dedication and effort to get to know. I’ve been a fan for only a short amount of time and so I feel in some ways that the relationship has ended before I was ready. But that would be selfish. Plus their music persists and let’s be honest; I’ll probably need a lifetime to appreciate all that Isis has to offer.

Isis was heavily influenced by bands like Neurosis and Tool; a kind of progressive, yet sludgy metal. Their music ticks along with incredible precision and depth one minute and the next body-slams the listener with powerful, bludgeoning riffs. The intricate parts feel as though they’re played through muddy pools, like you’re pushing against the current of a rain-swollen river.

Ambient waves lull you into dreamy ecstasy before the tidal wave of sound drags you through violent nightmares. The songs are long. Most span at least 7 minutes. Unrelenting. You can’t turn away; you can’t surface, not even to breathe. The driving rhythms draw you closer and closer to the edge. And then Aaron Turner’s voice creeps in, low and casual, like a demon beckoning from a place yet unseen. Your only guide through these murky depths. Consistently through their albums you feel his voice more than you actually hear it. Whether he’s giving life to a rough melody or growling ferociously, the vocals are set back in the mix. It feels more like Isis use the vocal as another instrument; wandering back and forth between raw and refined.

Their career stretches back 13 years. I only own 3 albums, including their last release Wavering Radiant. With each album, Isis embarks on their own journey and it’s up to you to keep pace. This is the music played at the edge of the universe. This is the music played at the end of time. When the apocalypse comes, Isis will provide the soundtrack. There is no more beautiful way to go. This is rock, this is life, what are you listening to?

ISIS - 20 Minutes / 40 Years, from the album Wavering Radiant (2009).