I'm a big fan of the Deftones.
I've got all of their albums, and yes "White Pony" is my favourite; despite this however, "Diamond Eyes" comes a very, very close second. A sort of return to form for the band (although they weren't exactly off form with previous release "Saturday Night Wrist"), "Diamond Eyes" is a perfect place for a newcomer to start off with.
An ethereal echo slowly fades in to a pummelling riff on opener "Diamond Eyes", Chino Moreno as brilliant as ever as his effortless vocals contrast with Carpenter's simple yet brutish guitar work. Heavier still is next track "Royal", with a breakdown similar to that off of "Saturday Night Wrist"'s "Beware", or in other words, head pounding.
"CMND/CTRL" is reminiscent of older material off of "Adrenaline", whilst "You've Seen the Butcher" and "Beauty School" offer the first (sort of) respite from the heaviness. The former contains some haunting percussion, with the latter containing some haunting lyrical content alongside a rather pop-punk drum beat. "Prince", with it's groovy bass line and drawn out vocals, then give way to the most accessible, but no less heavy, tracks off of the album.
"Rocket Skates" is the most straightforward song on the album, but also one of the most enjoyable. The crushing guitars pound down on you whilst Moreno's screech of "Guns, Razors, Knives!", whilst not the most subtle of lyrics, is almost deafening.
"Sextape", my favourite track off the album, is a ballad of sorts; whilst not the type of ballad you may be thinking of, it is certainly the most "relaxing" Deftones track I can think of.
here, the album kind of veers off. "Risk", 976-EVIL" and "This Place is Death" are all good tracks in their own right, but they end the album in a kind of average, yet still satisfying way. "Riverie" off of "Saturday Night Wrist" and "Change in the House of Flies" off of "White Pony" are in my opinion brilliant tracks to end an album with, yet the ones here seem a little... mediocre.
However, this doesn't detract from the fact that this is still a great record, and I recommend you listen to it and the rest of their material.
NOTE: Deftones originally planned to release the album "Eros", but bassist Chi Cheng suffered serious injuries in a car crash whilst the record was in progress. As the rest of the band's fans, I wish Cheng a speedy recovery.
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Friday, 11 February 2011
James Blake - "Klaiverwerke"
This is less of an album, and more of an experiment spread across four rather lengthy tracks.
I'm usually quite in to something that's a little different; I listen to plenty of different bands across different genres, but I found this a little to "Niche" for my liking. I'm not saying this after one listen either, I'd say I've played this record a fair amount and, despite my best efforts, I can't get in to it.
There's something decidedly average about this record. I know some people will like it, and I can kind of understand why; it's relaxing in a "your sleepy, I'll help with that" kind of way. It's more of a record that passes you by, rather than demanding your attention, making you listen to it; and in my opinion all records should do that. Never mind the genre, music should make you sit and listen, whether you're lying in bed or sitting on the train, and there are plenty of alternative albums that have me doing that. This, however, floats across the borders of the conscience, and without leaving any kind of impression, floats straight back over them. It might just be me, but even after the four songs that make this album had finished, I sometimes hadn't notice it had finished for a good 20 or 30 minutes.
Maybe after another dozen or so listens it'll make some kind of mark on me; but at the moment, it's more of a collection of sounds that don't leave me wanting more.
I'm usually quite in to something that's a little different; I listen to plenty of different bands across different genres, but I found this a little to "Niche" for my liking. I'm not saying this after one listen either, I'd say I've played this record a fair amount and, despite my best efforts, I can't get in to it.
There's something decidedly average about this record. I know some people will like it, and I can kind of understand why; it's relaxing in a "your sleepy, I'll help with that" kind of way. It's more of a record that passes you by, rather than demanding your attention, making you listen to it; and in my opinion all records should do that. Never mind the genre, music should make you sit and listen, whether you're lying in bed or sitting on the train, and there are plenty of alternative albums that have me doing that. This, however, floats across the borders of the conscience, and without leaving any kind of impression, floats straight back over them. It might just be me, but even after the four songs that make this album had finished, I sometimes hadn't notice it had finished for a good 20 or 30 minutes.
Maybe after another dozen or so listens it'll make some kind of mark on me; but at the moment, it's more of a collection of sounds that don't leave me wanting more.
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
Mogwai - "Rock Action"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqh1S87pwlQ
This is one of my favourite albums currently. So much so, I'm not gonna review it as such, but just tell you to click the link above and listen to that song.
For me, it's that one song you sit back, close your eyes and listen to. And I mean properly listen to.
This is one of my favourite albums currently. So much so, I'm not gonna review it as such, but just tell you to click the link above and listen to that song.
For me, it's that one song you sit back, close your eyes and listen to. And I mean properly listen to.
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