Review: The somewhat surprising return and attempt at redemption from the industrial metal shock-rocker Marilyn Manson has been a bold pill to swallow, with the once iconic provocateur seeking to avoid the many allegations and numerous controversies he has garnered over the last decade. Attending rehab and becoming fully sober over the past few years has seen dramatic weight loss, a notably more lowkey public demeanour and a newly signed record deal with Nuclear Blast (having been dropped by Loma Vista not long after 2020's We Are Chaos) turn a few heads, simultaneously cautious and curious as to the authenticity of this humble arc. With lawsuits recently thrown out, the court of public opinion appears to be the only form of due process that shall occur, leaving it to individual listeners to make up their mind as to the merit of the artist as a person. As to the art itself, One Assassination Under God: Chapter 1 is the 12th album to adorn the name Marilyn Manson, and it's his best since 2000's Holy Wood. Tapping Chelsea Wolfe collaborator/producer Tyler Bates to oversee the entire project has helped to create a generational bridge between how out of sync Manson himself had become with his own artistic strengths and audience desire, and Bates' insider knowledge as a younger fan first, collaborator second. Together they rediscover the core industrialist menace, gothic romanticism and hedonistic nihilism that kept listeners hooked after the initial shock of aesthetic would cease, but for the first time in decades, it feels earnest and earned rather than forced. Boasting Antichrist Superstar style buzzsaw synths and chug-heavy breakdowns on cuts such as 'Nod If You Understand', while the self-deprecating admission of using drugs to hide behind monstrous flaws on the gloomy balladry of 'As Sick As The Secrets Within' harks back to the most fragile moments of Mechanical Albums. Be it a cynical cashgrab or attempt to regain fan adoration, or the genuine musings of a tortured artist finally learning to face his own demons head on, there's simply no denying that this is Manson at his most potent, intimate and focused, begging the question of how different of a career trajectory and latter day output might we have had if the man had learned to look inward long before hitting the bottom.
Review: Rumour has it that only 15 cassette tapes were initially distributed of this rare demo collection, which earlier in 2024 was revealed to be the most expensive cassette tape ever sold on Discogs (going for a hefty $5,000), though the common consensus is that surely more exist out in the ether. Available digitally for years but now arriving on a remarkably limited run of wax, these demos also appeared on the (Like) Linus compilation CD and feature John Taylor on drums as Abe Cunningham would be in the midst of touring with his original alternative metal outfit Phallucy at the time of recording. Featuring the entire demo which pre-dates their 1995 debut Adrenaline LP, including cuts such as the aforementioned '(Like) Linus' as well as 'Hump', and 'Plastic', this expanded version also boasts early takes of album tracks like 'Engine No. 9', and 'Nosebleed', painting one of the clearest pictures of the band's nu-metal teething phase while creatively and sonically striving to push those confines in a similar manner to early material from their peers in Incubus. Funky, jagged and raw, yet already exuding that signature sultry chaotic nuance, this collection is so OG that initial copies even labelled the band as The Deftones.
Review: At the turn of the 21st century, Slipknot opted to take the newfound fame and success rewarded by their self-titled debut, and run it into the ground in, what has to be, one of the most intriguing examples of chaos and inner band turmoil lending to an integral work.
Named after their home state, 'Iowa', still remains an utterly frightening project, driven by addiction, depression, and encompassing negativity. Refusing to pursue a more accessible route regardless of the ensuing momentum around them, the collective would lash out with an extremely severe batch of material that remains challenging even by today's standards.
While the now iconic leads singles, 'My Plague' and 'Left Behind' remain embedded in the metal spectrum, deeper cuts such as the caustic 'People = Shit', nihilism rally of 'The Heretic Anthem' or the decrepit defeatism of 'Skin Ticket' offer the bleakest look into the band's psyche at their most temperamental of conditions.
The fact that frontman Corey Taylor has confessed that the 14-minute closing title-track was recorded while highly inebriated and cutting himself with a broken liquor bottle, should be all the background one could need when approaching this complex, unforgiving beast of an album.
Reissued after far too long an absence, this beautiful new rendering finally allows for a timeless endeavour to be rediscovered in all of its violent glory; rarely bridging the vast dichotomy between mainstream and extreme metal.
Review: Judas Priest's groundbreaking debut, originally released in 1974, has been meticulously remixed and remastered for its 50th anniversary. This edition of 'Rocka Rolla' delivers the raw energy and heavy metal thunder the band always intended. As Rob Halford himself proclaims, this album "lit the eternal metal flame," and five decades on, it still burns bright. Featuring classics like 'One For The Road', 'Winter', and the epic 'Caviar And Meths', this reissue captures the band's early sound in all its glory. Experience the genesis of heavy metal with this essential piece of music history.
Review: Following the tragic passing of frontman Chester Bennington in 2017, many presumed the natural end of nu-metal turned alt rock giants Linkin Park. Rattling their fanbase with news of a resurgence with Dead Sara vocalist Emily Armstrong, as well as new drummer Colin Brittain (replacing Rob Bourdain who opted not to join the reunion), From Zero nods to the band's original moniker of Xero while also ushering in this new era for the group, whereas sonically, the band do their best to simultaneously pay credence to their heavier origins whilst naturally progressing towards their newfound vision. Their first full-length since 2017's pop-oriented One More Light may come as a shock to many devout to the Bennington era, but the earnestness in composition sees a retrospective embracing of nu-metal motifs yet modified and extrapolated to embolden this entirely new compositional framework. Attempting to compare to prior releases is naturally par for the course yet won't do much to alter this new musical trajectory, as From Zero swells with the breath of an entirely fresh project that owes humble countenance to the Linkin Park of yesteryear. At 11 tracks clocking on at just over a half-hour, the mission statement is one of succinct brevity and urgency, but whether it truly fills the Bennington shaped void is down to each unique set of ears.
Review: Goat returns with their latest self-titled album, the third in as many years, to ecstatic fans of the band. This ever-enigmatic collective continues to push boundaries, delivering a record that blends rhythmically intense rituals with an unmistakable energy that both invigorates dancefloors and stimulates the mind. The album kicks off with 'One More Death' and 'Goatbrain,' two tracks that capture Goat's hedonistic spirit through sharp funk grooves and guitars drenched in fuzz and wah. These tracks set the tone for an album that never shies away from exploration. The closing track, 'Ouroborus,' inspired by the ancient symbol of cyclical rebirth, showcases the band's love for hip hop, combining infectious chants with relentless breakbeats reminiscent of Lalo Schifrin's work. This finale brings the journey full circle, echoing the idea of endless renewal. Goat's new album continues to affirm their dedication to transcendence and transformation, offering listeners a potent escape into a world where the only constant is change.
Review: In the 1980s the Monsters of Rock festival on the Castle Donnington in the East Midlands was THE annual headbangers' ball - these were, after all, the days when you could count the amount of major festivals each year on one hand. Every metal and hard rock band worth its salt played it, from first headliners Rainbow in 1980 to Iron Maiden in 1988, although it was the tragic death of two fans during Guns 'N' Roses' set that year that grabbed most of the headlines, and beyond. This recording captures Motorhead's set in 1986, when they shared the bill with headliner Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpions, Def Leppard and, somewhat unbelievably, Bad News, the Rik Mayall/Adrian Edmonson spoof metallers. The 'Head are on top form here and this is a nice sharp recording of a momentous set performed in front of a massive and vociferously enthusiastic crowd, and as well as a clutch of longtime classics culled from their trio of evergreen peak era-albums Bomber, Overkill and Ace of Spades, the post Eddie Clarke line up featuring Wurzel on guitar rarely sounded as on form, registering their own live favourites like 'Killed By Death' and 'Steal Your Face'.
Review: Often considered to be one of, if not, the most iconic performances from nu-metal legends Limp Bizkit (not including the riots of Woodstock 1999), their set at the Rock im Park festival in Nuremberg, Germany on 1st June 2001 featured the band touring their multi-platinum selling career highpoint Chocolate Starfish & The Hotdog Flavoured Water. Boasting, what in retrospect, seems like a greatest hits collection featuring cuts such as 'Hot Dog', 'My Generation', 'My Way', 'Take A Look Around', and 'Rollin'', while also offering up older essential bangers like 'Nookie' and 'Break Stuff', ample room is still provided not only for their iconic rendition of George Michael's 'Faith' but a surprise cover of Metallica's 'Master Of Puppets'. A time capsule live performance from one of the most maligned yet smugly successful acts to ever throw out the metal, rock and hip-hop rule books, this enigmatic set is the stuff of legend, with frontman Fred Durst's ensuing ego-trip backed by the band's venomously grooving execution at every turn.
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