TAME IMPALA– Currents

Tame Impala – Currents (2015, Interscope)

Kevin Parker’s band, Tame Impala has been on a series of successes since its debut in 2007. First with Innerspeaker and then with Lonerism with which he earned a lot of money with the song Elephant only. The much awaited Currents is, to me, reaching in the spheres of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memory. In the way that it is far from the usual records I would listen by myself. It brought me out of my comfort zone, which is underground extreme forms of metal.

LOCRIAN – Infinite Dissolution

Music Review : Locrian – Infinite Dissolution (2015, Relapse Records)

While most Black metal bands are centered about the dark themes in human nature, the new generation of American black metal bands have taken an approach near light and the human introspection. This anti-conformism of a very conformist and hermetic genre is giving a fresh breath to a genre that could have stayed deeply rooted in its origins of Satan worshipers and underground influenced bands like Discharge and Black Flag.

AKITSA – Grands Tyrans

Akitsa – Grands Tyrans (2015, Hospital Productions)

While opening with Dévoilé like most of the primitive black metal origins of the vein of early Ulver and Darkthrone the Montréal based band led by O.T. pushes its listener into a path that black metal territories have been visited for almost thirty years of lo-fi recordings, distant drumming, scratchy strident guitars, and desperate screams. 

IRON MAIDEN – The Book of Souls

Iron Maiden – The Book of Souls (2015, Parlophone, Sanctuary Copyrights/BMG)

Of the few bands that can be the best introduction to Metal music in general, Iron Maiden along Metallica are the two sure shots that almost anyone knows and loves or hates. For me, Iron Maiden represents Heavy Metal and the band that stayed true to its roots despite success, waves of grunge and alternative rock, line-up changes, etc. So to have a new record in 2015 is precious and intriguing. After such a huge career, aging, sickness, and more, Iron Maiden still make new music and will embark on a huge world tour involving their singer/pilot Bruce Dickinson taking the lead in both positions.

BELL WITCH - Four Phantoms

Music Review : Bell Witch – Four Phantoms (2015, Profound Lore)

Following their first effort of 2012, Longing, the funeral doom duo of Dylan Desmond on bass and Adrian Guerra on drums delivers one of the greatest piece of music of 2015 with Four Phantoms.

TRIBULATION – The Children of the Night

Tribulation – The Children of the Night (2015, Century Media)

Coming from Sweden, the black/death impersonating of progressive rock metal of Tribulation might be the next Ghost B.C. but with greater depth the quartet brings aggressivity and hanger to a genre that seemed to be topped by Katatonia and the likes.

ALAMBIK – Utopie

Alambik – Utopie (2015, Label For Rent)

Rising from the country of Portneuf near Quebec City, the four-piece Alambik has recently released their second album Utopie. Working with Jef Fortin of thrash metal band Anonymus, the production has a contemporary sound and a nice feel.

DODHEIMSGARD - A Umbra Omega

Dodheimsgard – A Umbra Omega (2015, Peaceville Records)

In the early to mid 1990’s a bunch of Norwegian musicians were a part of the rise of the second wave of black metal, one of the most infamous genre in music history. Of this bunch many disappeared after a few years but those who stayed were representing the true spirit of the genre (Mayhem, Emperor, DarkThrone) or they managed to take the visibility and noise to raise to bigger aspirations (Ulver, Arcturus) but few managed to be cult or kvlt and evolve as avant-garde musicians.

MARDUK – Frontschwein

Music Review : Marduk – Frontschwein (2015, Century Media)

For 25 years Marduk is at the forefront of Extreme metal. At first, the Swedish outfit was playing death metal and progressively endorsed black metal elements such as fast uncompromising aggressive elements of the young genre. With Frontschwein, one would hope that it is a return to the Panzer Division era which is a dip into this territory but much more like a logical continuity of Serpent Sermon released in 2012.

While Panzer Division was one of the fastest and aggressive records from the band, Serpent Sermon was more like a entry in the heavier side of the band slowing some songs and getting back to basis.

Frontschwein is a balance of both of the aforementioned albums with a darker entry with the War themes. However, even if some songs are slowed down, maybe because of the shift of drummers, Marduk didn’t make an accessible album either. This is in your face blitzkrieg music that is fine because this is a long time running band but there is nothing really ground breaking or fresh here.

Overall, Frontschwein is not a bad album and fans will welcome it. But this is not the kind of release that will make them gain legions of new fans.

7.0

PANDA BEAR – Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper

Panda Bear – Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper (2015)

As one of my most expected albums of 2015 and one of the earliest releases of the year, Panda Bear aka Noah Lennox, hits the target and meets the expectations. While his main project, Animal Collective has found a pinnacle with Strawberry Jam and Merriweather Post Pavillion the Baltimore based indie/electro sensation has been on a decent path while Panda Bear alone seems to be expanding his creative ways.

Now singing about family, since he is a father of two, he speaks more about the fear of death and the responsibilities that you are facing when you have to sustain a family and not just yourself. It is a new reality and like the much more competent reviewer of Pitchfork pointed it Lennox sings about home life, marriage, and seems to be making music for his domestic life.

This is a near perfect album and without a doubt the best offering by Panda Bear as a solo artist. With its very evocative title, Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper, I was fearing a pessimistic record slamming on darker notes and denaturing the essence of Lennox’s qualities of his Beach Boys like voice and his dream like sampling music. I couldn’t be more wrong. Far from repeating himself, Panda Bear kept away from common spheres while exploring themes and sonorities he masters. Some naysayers will state that a consensus around an artist or an album is like an empty buzz but for Panda Bear and his new release praises and accolades are well deserved.

9.0