Saor, Forgotten Paths

Saor, Forgotten Paths

John Fisher, April 9, 2019

Let’s talk about the love of nature. Last month I briefly wrote about how I was dealing with a rough stretch, and how an unexpected bout of depression crept in without warning. It mostly had to do with realizing that I needed to move on from my on-again-off-again relationship. But I happened upon a lucky few weeks during the month of March, and there was one thing that was there to coincide with the rebound. I was spending SO much time outside. My first lucky step earlier in March was to successfully install artificial turf in my backyard. I had finally given up trying to maintain a lawn when a local landscaper said it’d be a minimum of $6K to put in a sprinkler system. So instead, I went all fake for my backyard lawn for about $1500. I should have done this a long time ago. Now the dogs could run free without tracking dirt inside the house. After the fake grass was in, I turned my attention to the fringe areas of the yard and went to Lowe’s, where the guy in the garden section recommended going with rocks as another low maintenance option. After multiple DIY landscaping sessions and trips back and forth to Lowe’s, I had a backyard I was proud of again, and celebrated, mostly alone, with a few fire pits and plenty of beer. Then I did my taxes and got a pretty decent refund, so decided this was the year to also install the outdoor Crossfit rig. Little by little, my backyard was coming together, and not coincidentally, I was spending more and more time outside, and getting a ton of work done outdoors in the daytime hours from 8-5. I was able to make a few clutch Tahoe trips and lucked out on some rare March powder days all to myself too. I have always been an outdoors type, both a kid and adult who has spent a LOT of time outside without really thinking about how much it has had a positive effect on my happiness. I will probably end up dying early due to skin cancer if I had to guess, but, so be it. It will have been worth it.

For much of March, I was under the impression that I’d be reviewing my early March pick, Spielberg’s This is Not the End. I really liked the album on first listen, and it is good, but I was not fired up about it after almost a full month to the point where I wanted to write a review. I kept coming back to Saor’s Forgotten Paths, thinking it was the one I should’ve chosen. I knew To Be Gentle was the shoe-in for April, so It was now or never for Saor.

This album has only 4 songs and clocks in at just under 40 minutes. I did some surface level research and found out that Saor is basically one dude from Scotland named Andy Marshall writing all lyrics and songs, and he brings in session musicians for album recordings and live performances. The opening track launches right into melodic black metal, and keeps it up a full 6 minutes, before introducing the piano and flute for the emotive transition and lyrical repeat of “Wild cries the winter, and we walk song-haunted…” and then concludes with the flute and strings. “Monadh” picks up right away and continues to build the atmosphere with beastly precision, one critical breakdown leading into an impressive and subtle percussion section to set the mood. One time, my friend Erich talked about his love of percussion in its many forms, and I would guess he would appreciate the drumming that comes in right around the 6:30 mark of “Monadh.” Saor does an amazing job of holding back a climax until just the right moment, and “Monadh” exemplifies Andy Marshall’s tremendous songwriting and patience, without ever boring the listener. “Bron” clocks in at over 12 minutes and I like that it opens with a solid 90 seconds of atmospheric build up before ripping into heaviness. The vocals make me think of some vicious half man/half beast living in some distant mountainous cave, who only makes a rare appearance to remind us how authentic metal feels. And it feels fucking great listening to this album. I sat by the fire one night so appreciative that I found this album, so thrilled that the themes revolve around a love of nature. “Bron” climaxes right around the 8-minute mark, gifting the listener with such a memorable, heavy, earned and simultaneously pleasant transition. This is a true metal album, with phenomenal instrumentation, where the few transitions are deeply satisfying. Do yourself a favor and go out into nature by yourself and give this one a listen.

Cassus, Separation Anxiety

I am excited to write this review. When I last wrote, I had committed to Astronoid’s new album as my choice for February. I added it to my library and gave it a full listen. Boring. I read the initial reviews, which were overwhelmingly positive. So I gave it another week as my album on repeat…Boring and unreviewable, I’m sorry Astronoid… I had such high hopes after that exceptional debut (Air, 2016). But, I decided I am never again wasting 1 of my 12 yearly picks on another toothless album (I’m looking at you Thrice, Palms). Disappointed, I searched for Locktender on Instagram, last month’s album, hoping to find inspiration. Nothing, just hashtags. One of those hashtags listed some fan’s top 10 albums of the year, with the new Cassus album, Separation Anxiety, listed as #1 (with Locktender on that list). Holy shit, a screamo album made it as a monthly pick! This album is quite possibly the most fun 30 minute album you will hear  this year. It is surprisingly an AOTY contender for me. January’s Locktender and February’s Cassus are setting my monthly bar way too high. Crazy there are going to be 10 more chances but I am officially happy that my album of the year this year is going to be an amazing album.

Separation Anxiety did not impress me until track 4. “Ceaseless Tumult” was a game changer. This track officially put this band on my radar. This was the best screamo song I had been attracted to since songs from the Miss Machine album by Dillinger 15 years ago (damn it that album needs a full review)

Again, “Ceaseless Tumult”: Listen to the precision of the drummer in particular on this vocal section extending from “a vessel, ravaged, ruptured, dissolved” (all the way to) “my head spins without bearings, impossible to find.” Dude is remarkably precise (and fast).

Being Sick on a Merry Go Round reaffirms that this band is not simply a noisy screamo band, but the song fails to pack the punch the band intended. Instead, I think it serves as the introductory song for this album’s powerful finish. 

The finish to “Be A Man” needs to be reviewed by sociologists. Please do yourself a favor and follow along with the lyrics, and listen closely for this climax: “hate is valued over love…cruelty rewarded and compassion mocked…we grind each other down in an endless cycle of abuse, yet act surprised when we produce SOCIOPATHS, MURDERERS, SUICIDES”…and with that yell (aye so good). And into the music box, and, surprisingly the most memorable part is yet to come… 

Hands down best part on this album is a finish and beginning combo, specifically the ending of “Boundless Torpor” (listen for the snare roll finish) into the beginning of “Have you Considered a Balanced Diet.”

This album tackles heavy topics, including masculinity, corporatism, sustainability, humility (please read the quoting of “Season of Autumn Floods” by Chuang Tzu in the liner notes), and absolute mental rage and anger in dealing with a bitter reality, one that seems impossible to change. At least we can find music to accompany the rage.

Separation Anxiety provides that outlet. Outstanding job in packing such power and originality in less than 30 minutes. I was a skeptic, but now can believe again in a VERY short album.

Personally, it has been a trying month for me. Depression reared its ugly head again, but I beat it for now. Sometimes, that asshole unexpectedly comes out of nowhere, without warning. I dealt with a weird “betrayal-like” situation, I dealt with loss, and had one HEAVY conversation that may have been just what I needed to make the right decision, long term. Sometimes, you have one decision per month that really matters. And I came across that at least 2-3 times in February. I am starting to realize that life is a crushing struggle, full of stress and conflict and waged on a never-ending, unpredictable mental battlefield. My happiness is determined by how I handle the challenges, and my imperfection means that happiness will always waiver.

Thank God for music and thank you for reading!

Locktender, Friedrich

February 2, 2019

“Standing beside the sea, gaze out into the water, will this encapsulate me?”

The highest chairlift at Sierra at Tahoe takes me to 8,852 feet. I made a trip up to Tahoe with Claire to visit family on the weekend of January 12th, and I am pretty thrilled that my Mom is now living there. She recently retired and moved from Seattle to South Lake to help look after my Grandma and to keep her company. I’m pretty pumped that 5 members of the Donovan family now live in one of the best mountain towns in California. My Mom is one of those people who likes to keep the atmosphere calm and welcoming, and it is always relaxing to visit her. She has a wicked sense of humor too, and there are inevitably tons of laughs hanging out drinking a couple Bourbon & waters on the rocks. My Mom has a practical and realistic view of the world that keeps me grounded. Being around my Mom, Grandma, and Aunts and Uncles in Tahoe feels like home, and I am lucky to have an opportunity to live only 3 hours away from good people who for the most part seem to like visitors. I need to make sure I bring something to the table though on my trips so I do not feel like a burden and overstay my visits. I also need to figure out what that will be, but right now my lackluster contribution involves bringing Claire, doing the dishes, and not drinking too much. But, I need to contribute more and I’ll figure out a way. I chose Sierra as the mountain to board on the 12th because Sierra had the only lift ticket under $100 online, and I figured it would be interesting to see if I remembered the mountain from over 30 years ago, where I learned to ski as a 5-year-old. I remember I was so out of control as probably a two-foot kid and I skied in between some old guy’s legs on my first full run from the top. Sierra was awesome then when it was called “Sierra Ski Ranch” and it still is now as “Sierra-At-Tahoe.” Anyway, my Mom agreed to watch Claire for the day, which I now think is a little too much to ask, especially when she is busy looking after my Grandma and raising her new Labradoodle puppy named Murphy. Going forward, half days are going to be my limit for babysitting requests. At the base of the mountain where I picked up my lift ticket, I saw a sign saying that season passes were $499, and I thought, “hmmm maybe. Too bad I just paid $100 for a ticket.” Then I saw another sign that said, “Sierra will credit you for your ticket you already bought, but only if you buy the season pass today.” Ok Sierra, that’s a serious deadline that just presented itself out of nowhere, and now you have my attention. I thought to myself around 8:30 am, “alright…if this day is enjoyable riding solo, I will think about pulling the trigger on my way out.” I rode that day from 9 am til 4 pm, had music blasting, with the help of a certain pen in my front jacket pocket (I was able to share it on the ski lift with a few appreciative dudes before their last run). At about 4:30, I walked out with a Sierra season pass in hand. Fast forward a few weeks, and I come to find out that Claire gets full day care PLUS snowboarding lessons for about $100 bucks per day. That is an incredible deal, and so now Claire is learning at age 3. I took her on her 3rd birthday for the first time, which is the first possible day in her life she could have snowboarded at Sierra. I was one proud Dad, and I was crying laughing watching her learn the basics with her ski instructor in a group of like 5-10 super groms, all the while I get to snowboard all day solo again. Does it get any better? In maybe only 1 or 2 more years, Claire and I are going to be cruising the mountain together. I am so excited about the possibilities of raising this wonderful kid that has brought so much joy and purpose to my life. In large part because of her, my family, and the town of Tahoe itself, I lucked out and randomly got back into the beautiful sport of snowboarding (seriously everyone needs to try getting stoned once and appreciate the ski lift up with like 6 inches of snow just chilling on thousands of motionless, majestic redwood trees, then strap in at almost 9000 feet and bomb the mountain for 10-20 minutes or so, blasting music, getting exercise). The sport has also inspired me to start thinking about really traveling again. It is amazing how grateful I need to be for this, and I am. I appreciate how rare this opportunity is, and it materialized, unexpectedly, within only the last few weeks. I am a lucky dude! It is fitting that Locktender’s Friedrich, which came out of a random search for new music at about 2 am one night where I couldn’t sleep, also coincidentally has a winter vibe to it.

Friedrich sets the bar high for 2019 and I am lucky to have found another solid band that seems to still be on a journey to their peak with this, their 3rd full length album. When I find a new band, I generally don’t bother going back and listening to the older albums. It feels like too much work. That being said, I was pretty curious this time, and gave their old debut album Kafka a quick listen. The production was horrible and I gave up quickly. But Friedrich strikes me as a breakout album and I can’t wait to see what comes next. Apparently Locktender chooses an artist as a theme for each album, and this time they went with Caspar David Friedrich, who I now know after my 10 minutes of Wikipedia research was a German romantic landscape painter from the 1800s who became mostly a recluse wanderer in his later years. When I first delved, I thought, “ok, this could be cool for a hardcore album.” The album cover itself is all white and if you look closely depicts a wintery, mostly barren hilly landscape, which I assume is a Friedrich painting. The album lyric insert is a work of art. Well done in all white, it feels like a little short story with pictures. The pictures are actually various paintings from Friedrich, e.g. “The Monk by the Sea,” and the caption includes “Created:1808 and 1810 | Medium: Oil on Canvas.” Track 1 of course is aptly named “The Monk by the Sea” …and what a fine song it is. While in high school in the late 90s, I listened to my fair share of emotional hardcore. Shai Hulud, Cave In (the old stuff), Bane, and the old BTBAM debut album come to mind. This opening track reminds me of “Crossbearer” by Cave In or “More of Myself to Kill” by BTBAM. And that is saying A LOT. The thing those bands all shared was they played emotional hardcore with raw talent, heart, and impact. Locktender belongs right up there on the short list of impactful hardcore bands with this release. The opener takes the title of the painting and assumes a hypothetical (I think) scenario of said monk ultimately committing suicide by walking into the water and letting the ocean encapsulate him. In this song, the monk struggles with a lack of faith, and that helping others was ultimately a selfish act for him. The lyrics revisit his struggle in the epic song “Winter Landscape.” Locktender writes, “do we give up all that we are for something greater than ourselves in hope that our selflessness will be rewarded selfishly? We’ve lost our identity.” The music is so good. I remember I was in Tahoe trying to justify going with Friedrich for January instead of Soilwork’s new album (Soilwork’s The Chainheart Machine is up there for me as a personal favorite album). Soilwork should be the highest difficulty level for Guitar Hero. It is a massacre listening to how good they are, but honestly, there’s no heart anymore. I can’t listen to them after 20 years. I like my bands a bit more raw now, often with less polish. Going from Soliwork’s new album to Friedrich felt refreshing. The instrumentation in Friedrich is flawless but they’re not trying to be a bunch of mathletes like it seems so many metal bands are doing these days. Friedrich wears its heart on its sleeve while also tackling dark philosophical topics in their lyrics, and a Shai-Hulud-esque way with words. I was happy to hear that the lyrics are so well written. My only initial gripe was the final dramatic vocal finish of the lyrics in the song, “The Abbey in the Oakwood.” Locktender theatrically sings, “let us not be borne away, a mass of black shapes around a grave.” Much like Harrison Ford’s overacting in his action scenes, it seemed a little overdone. But I’ve changed my mind now that I understand the final track bookends the album’s theme so well, as those remaining must make some sort of sense of the monk’s suicide. This album also does a great job of recalling lyrical themes throughout. Friedrich tells a powerful story organized around the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich, through the mediums of gifted lyricism and passionate hardcore music. This album is sick and I’m so happy I found it.

In other news for January, momma and I went back to being co-parents rather than trying to force a committed relationship again. We definitely mastered co-parenting so I am looking forward to that life circumstance again. I also stepped up my nutrition and really dedicated myself to fitness again after a December full of lethargy and self-indulgence. I spent a few hours making a list of dozens of the healthiest foods and supplements, and just started getting those healthy things delivered through the Instacart app (Safeway delivery). I have also decided to abstain from any alcohol or weed from Monday to Friday. It has been rewarding to combine healthy eating and abstinence for most days, and I’ve noticed better energy levels in my evening Crossfit WODs. In terms of booze, I think we all know alcohol takes a pretty ugly toll on the body and, after too many, the sloppy behavior, sleep, next day, etc, etc. Weed for the most part seems more beneficial, but I had/have a couple problems with it. For one, I eat way too much and gain weight. Secondly, since weed makes the mundane tasks enjoyable, I was not working out as much as a weapon against stress, and I was then staying up too late because I was having fun. My sleep schedule was a mess and weed was negatively affecting my work week. Let’s be honest, though, booze and weed can be fun, so I give myself the weekends to indulge. The balance has been working and I’m interested to see if I will keep these new healthier habits up.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I have already decided Astronoid’s new album gets the nod for February. I wasn’t thrilled on first listen, but their debut Air was way too good to not give them the benefit of the doubt. Hopefully it’ll grow on me after a month of listening.

Peace,

John

Elder, Reflections of a Floating World

Elder, Reflections of a Floating World*

John Fisher, December 30, 2018

I typically write a review while listening to the album. For this last 2018 spin of Elder’s 2017 masterpiece, I took a good few rips of recreation. There is something special about its pairing with music. Listening to my favorite music, surfing 3-5 foot clean waves at Pacifica Beach for a few early morning hours, snowboarding at Kirkwood without the crowds on Christmas day, cleaning the house…all much better with a little enhancement. Elder’s Reflections of a Floating World seems to be the perfect album to escape and snowboard alone all day a little stony at Kirkwood.

What a year it was! (I need to go to my Instagram to figure out what was going on in my life about a year ago…) Awww yes, last year I was in Tahoe with Claire and did the “Buffalo plaid” Christmas with a smaller family group. I remember at this time I was right in the middle of my “adventures with Claire” phase as a single Dad. I was surfing and mountain biking more than I am now. Based on pictures I was also in better shape this time last year without the double chin and beer belly creeping back in. I’ll probably need to get back into that shape at some point in 2019…I can’t give up the fight yet!

Times have changed from last year. The biggest news…Momma moved back in, and we are working on things. I have learned a lot over the years, and I hope everything will work out for us and our sweet little non-traditional family.

That’s it for the autobiographical stuff. I have a whole lot more on my mind, but I’ll hold off because it’s time to give this album its due credit. I have been jamming this record a while now, ever since it made my pick for February. I also made a new rule for my little “one vinyl per month” game: last year’s releases are still in play. Elder released this album on June 2, 2017, and I missed it last year. I think I gave it a shot with a quick listen, and thought, “damn, this band is pretty good.” But, for whatever reason, I passed. Good thing for that new rule change, because this album stood out a year later above all the rest.

This is the most unique album I found in 2018. “Sanctuary” could easily have had three different acceptable endings within the song. When credits seem to roll for the second time, a distant riff makes its way through the mist, slowly growing in strength. That one riff developed over the next few minutes creates a fantasy portal into a different world, one where I am fully focused on the music and not real life. I once referenced the last riff of “Sanctuary” in a meaningless conversation to prove an argument about the joy of repetition in metal. The two-to-three-minute ending of “Sanctuary” is essentially a layered extension of one riff.

“The Falling Veil” and “Staving off Truth” are such a critical 2-3 punch. The finish to the latter is exceptional…

“Are we waiting just to leave? Is there an answer which eludes? We stand upon a floating world…simply staving off the truth”

…Aaahh! So good!

“Blind” has an ALBUM DEFINING finish, yet this is only track 4 of 6. The repeat riff for a final four count with the squeal to close?! I love the finish to “Blind,” a standout on the album for me. I noticed similarities in the appearance of the vinyl lyric sheet to Close to the Edge by Yes. I wonder if that iconic Yes album had an influence on these guys? It would definitely make a lot of sense to me.

Track 5, Sonntag, is a perfect interlude, and feels like a well-deserved jam sesh for these gifted musicians before finishing things off with the well balanced “Thousand Hands.”

“Thousand Hands” has such a great opening line… “THERE STANDS AN ALABASTER THRONE!” goes so well with that section.

Elder…I have nothing bad to say about Reflections of a Floating World…for me, it is a MASTERPIECE and my album of the year for 2018.

Also, quick New Year’s Resolution to get it down on paper…I need to get back into shape by the end of the year. I guess I will be joining the masses at the gym in January. Hopefully I can sneak in a few more of those THC + Elder + Kirkwood days too.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading, and I wish you a great 2019.

Haken, Vector

Haken, Vector

John Fisher

December 12, 2018

Haken was on heavy rotation at the same time that I made a few big personal changes. I recently took a new job and left my previous employer of almost 3 years, a place where I even referred two of my good friends to work. It was a tough decision because the company has potential to grow tremendously, but it was just time for me to make a change. At the new company, I am not micro-managed AT ALL (in my experience the way a big corporation tends to do to their employees). This will usher in a whole new level of self-discipline for me, and I look forward to being one of the early and hopefully critical people who can take the team to new heights. It is a positive weight to have this new challenge on my shoulders and I wonder how the responsibility will affect me as a person. I see the opportunity as a character test of seeing how strong I can nurture a self-generated drive. It will be interesting to see if the potential leadership skills I think I possess will shine through. The other big change for me is that I almost have my girl back, and Momma to our 2 year old daughter. We no doubt had some rocky points in the past, but I am looking forward to seeing where our relationship goes from here. It is time to be less of a selfish asshole, which I have admittedly been in the past. It is funny how just putting other people first ends up benefitting me. I am not sure how I overlooked this relationship life hack in years past. With the new job, I also invested heavily in some new gadgets, including the Apple Watch and Apple Air Pods, and Haken’s Vector was the main album I listened to for November. It sounds incredible on good headphones.

Haken caught my attention with their album, The Mountain. The fact that the song “The Cockroach King” is listed as their first (aka most popular) track on Apple Music is revealing to me. I absolutely hate that song. Despite that being one of the most annoying songs in my opinion, I also recognize the creativity, broad musical influence, and truly unique sound Haken brings. But “The Cockroach King” is a perfect example of why I have a love/hate relationship with progressive music in general. It seems that “progressive” anything (e.g. metal, rock, or hardcore) has to be a little “out there” to earn the “progressive” label. Some of Haken’s experimental stuff like “The Cockroach King” just turns me off. But, “Atlas Stone,” “Because It’s There,” and “Pareidolia” made me a patient believer in Haken a couple years ago. The album Affinity released in 2016 and was another achievement for the band, with an obvious throwback to the 80s. I got the chance to see Haken live in 2017 at Slim’s in San Francisco. They put some serious effort into their live act, complete with numerous backstage exits from singer Ross Jennings in the middle of songs to gather himself and make climactic reappearances. The Gentle Giant, Genesis, and Yes fans were in the crowd, with a blend of the old and new progressive fans in the crowd listening intently. Their musical talent is right up there with some of the best tech bands I have had the pleasure of hearing. These guys are masters of instrumentation. Vector is no exception.

“Puzzle Box” may have the best part of any song this year. There is an unmistakable climax in this song, where Ross Jennings builds up from “Bouncing off the walls…” to the twice repeated lyric of the climax. The guitar squeals preceding it are so sick as they level up further and further before that bombastic transition to the peak. Ross even gives a Pink Floyd-esque vocal teaser that adds to the punch right before hitting the listener with the lines, “How can truth set us free when lies are all we have?...How can time heal us when our days are running out?”

 Vector is a great album but doesn’t quite do it in a couple ways for me. “Veil” is too long. “The Good Doctor” has a great ending but an obnoxious first half. “A Cell Divides” is outstanding, but it is strange to me that it ends abruptly to the point where I am surprised the album is over. “Nil by Mouth” is so good as an instrumental track. Vector ultimately provides enough highlights to be up there on any 2018 list of best metal albums, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more talented group of musicians out there in the progressive metal genre.

Dvne, Asheran

9/29/18 - John Fisher

Writing album reviews is an interesting hobby.

An old friend (one of the funnier people I know) called it a “sublime endeavor” in a Facebook comment (after cutting my teeth on Desolation by Khemmis earlier this year). I would say reviewing albums is more of a lonely endeavor. I have revisited fun hobbies from my childhood again in my mid-to-late 30s, which is kind of laughable (this may be the old me talking…a devotee to a certain subtle ‘toxic masculinity’ that I was formerly oblivious to but well aware of now)…

…I’m realizing that my chosen hobbies are even more enjoyable than I remembered in my younger days. Part of my newfound joy in rediscovering, in my 30s, old hobbies I liked, including golf, surfing, hiking, mountain biking, music albums, and drawing, for example, lie in the fact that these are hobbies I will most likely enjoy ALONE going forward. Some can be explored with another person (for example, my daughter - drawing & hiking) or, two or three other people (e.g. golf or surfing – enjoyed with a few good friends), but, in my late 30s, there is an understanding that “going it alone” can be utterly enjoyable. I suspect there might be a correlation, in finding that in my older years I have finally learned to love these things, with the fact that they are now explored in a small or solitary social environment. (IT IS SO F’ING ENJOYABLE TO REDISCOVER COMFORT IN SOLITUDE).

I suspect that I would have more enjoyed what I chose to devote my time to in my younger days if I had simply put up walls and kept a smaller social circle. I’m unsure but have so many questions. Does it maybe make sense that our social circles should be larger when younger, and smaller when older? After all, I was much more pleasant and accepting of the masses when I was both a kid and teenager. I was, however, undoubtedly more concerned with what people thought. However, my years and years of conditioning could be starting to set in, as it seems more important to me now, at age 36, to be less accessible.

Writing album reviews can be an intrinsic solitary treasure, and one I see as a potential powerful medium for connection. It’s possible to combine multiple hobbies (writing & over-analyzing music) to share with others. Putting words down on paper captures musical enjoyment in a unique medium, and selfishly provides the autobiographical, journalistic snapshot of what can coincide with one’s journey.

I find myself cringing while reading my own words though. Despite an introspective back and forth, I ultimately feel relief that my pressure to subscribe to some toxic masculine ideal is fading away rather quickly and being replaced with a desire to be more communicative. Perhaps having a daughter was the reason for the masculine-ideological-worship to fade, or maybe it is a function of the change in sociocultural norms we are witnessing, providing a sliver of hope that honesty will not go underappreciated.

Ultimately, I aspire to write as if I am in my own head, without any pressure to conform. I’m sure grandstanding will inevitably creep back in though. For now, this is almost a pressure-free medium. That being said…I am posting to a website…so this is grandstanding in its purest form. Here is my review of Asheran by Dvne…

I’ve spent a month with Asheran and was fully expecting to write a pretentious review connecting the band (Dvne) to a book I hadn’t read (Dune), but of course heard many times was one of the best science fiction books of all time. This is actually the second metal band I have thoroughly enjoyed based off the famous book, the other being Shai Hulud. Shai Hulud signified the transition from my new school punk fandom to hardcore and metal. Shai Hulud was (apparently) the name of the worm from Dune, and again, forgive my ignorance for further story, but I have not read the book and I am not going to try to act like I am a Dune expert only weeks after I pressed “Add to cart” on Amazon. Dune strikes me, though, as the next potential Lord of the Rings trilogy that post-millenials may be able to call their own (hopefully with a James Cameron-quality director at the controls). Knowing I was planning to write this review, I did order Dune, and look forward to 400+ pages of sci-fi exploration. Despite not knowing the story (other than chapter 1 at this point), it is clear that this album by Dvne, Asheran, is a concept to be enjoyed from start to finish, yet does not require extensive Dune knowledge for enjoyment (though I can only imagine would likely add so much).

If you can’t dedicate a full hour, give a full 10 minute listen to Descent of the Asheran. You will hear something I only discovered when opening the gorgeous vinyl (the art album cover is good) to read the lyrics…a Scottish clean metal singer (more on that below)!

If 2018 is anything to remember in my monthly album selections, it will be the year of the vocalists (e.g. Car Seat Headrest’s original vocal climax in “Famous Prophets” or…the black metal setup in “Flesh to Nothing” by Ben Hutcherson of Khemmis, or the grief in Phil Eleverum’s [aka Mount Eerie] “Now Only”, or… the style from DiSalvo in ELDER!). Dvne is no exception.

DVNE is an original Scottish metal band, tough to “genre-classify.” It is a treasure to find originality in metal, as each metal avenue seems to have already been done over-and-over with so-called “artists” stealing nuances. The good news…metal is quite possibly the least mainstream genre, one in which true originality, when discovered, is undeniable and worshipped, and spread among loyal, appreciative metal fans. The gift of metal lies in its honesty. If the musicians are truly creating, without plagiarizing, each song is like DNA code. Originality stems from creativity, with a clean slate, respect, and clever allusion to influences (even obvious worship is tolerated, as long as it’s not plagiarized). You can connect the dots of influence for DVNE, yet this debut album is insanely original.

Why is Descent of the Asheran my recommendation for new listeners? Read the lyrics! You’ll hear, if you are like me, the first Scottish metal vocalist you would not know was Scottish if you weren’t following along with the lyrics. My advice to embrace this band? Get to this part of Descent of the Asheran…

“Nimbus, tinted brilliant crystalline…

Heuristic consequence,

Cosmos…provides no reassurance,

Guilt preserved in amber…

Cursed, we gather in pools of moonlight,

Awaiting conviction…

Questing, our eyes turn skyward bound…

To watch our kin arrive!”

–

This refers to the Asheran people returning to their planet (I’ll let you search the meaning of it).

After this song, you may be willing to jump into the concept, the connection to Dune, and the full album. It may even make you a sci-fi fan if you’re willing to put in the time. This is not an album that deserves a one-listen write off. I’ll leave other moments to you, but here are a few hints after a month listening … The instrumental Sunset’s Grace is gold and will make other metal bands jealous who understand the importance of intermediary songs. Rite of the Seven Mournings – the intro riff is so sick (aggressive after the instrumental, Sunset’s Grace) and…the authenticity of that first breakdown is powerful (it is tough to develop an original breakdown in 2018). The vocal finish of Viridian Bloom is memorable. “Scion” has an introspective worthy ending that justifies the (juxtaposed) aggressive album-opening bass line from The Crimson Path.

When Scion ends?

…Repeat

This album leaves me craving more.

After a month listening to an EXCEPTIONAL debut full-length album, Asheran, I can’t wait to see what Dvne has in store for us in 2019…

Mount Eerie, Now Only

Mount Eerie, Now Only

John Fisher, September 8, 2018

I sit here with writer’s block trying to get this review started, and I feel a bit of pressure to make sure this album review is not about me. I want to write about how this album struck me too, so I’ll do my best to find the right balance. Focusing on one album per month forces a deeper dive in an era where new music is so readily available. I’m happy to see that the full length album has not gone away as an expression of art. This year I’ve been forced to go outside of my foundation of bands to find the right album each month, and as a result I have found many new bands I had never heard, Mount Eerie being one of them. I’ll cheat sometimes and Google the highest rated album reviews across genres when I need to go on a search. Now Only kept coming up as a critical album so I gave it a shot. I guess you could call it indie or folk, but I think Now Only may deserve its own genre.

This album is a continuation of A Crow Looked at Me by Phil Elverum (Mount Eerie). Now Only is an autobiographical album that picks up where ACLAM left off, addressing Phil’s grief in losing his wife unexpectedly to cancer, Genevieve Castree, four months after their daughter was born. Having a young daughter myself, this album floored me. Genevieve Castree was a successful illustrator, writer, musician, and artist, and I felt in order to do this review right, I needed to see some of her work. I bought A Bubble and Susceptible. My dog Cody ate the cover off Susceptible but I look forward to reading it (other than the cover missing, everything is still in place, but damn it Cody, stop eating all my shit). I’ve read A Bubble to my daughter Claire many times before bed and although Claire does not know the story behind it, she likes when I read her the book and loves the illustrations. I hope she will come to appreciate the real life story behind it when she gets a little older.

Phil Elverum does not hold back in communicating his innermost thoughts about the loss of his wife and the challenge in raising his young daughter alone without the woman he loved. I have never before been able to read such devastating and personal lyrics related to another person’s real life loss. This album does not strike me as one that would likely be played in a group with your friends. Now Only is best listened to alone with careful attention to the lyrics. “Tintin in Tibet” has a crushing lyrical finish where my own introspective thoughts tend to replace the music when the song ends. My reaction to his songs is a sort of deadpan astonishment. I have noticed that when I listen to this album, a certain calm and kindness can replace the unrelenting daily pressures of life for a few minutes. It is a nice escape when in the right mood. Phil Elverum is a talented lyricist. His command of the language is beyond impressive, and I am happy to see that such a talented writer is an equally talented musician.

“Distortion” opens with three thunderous electric guitar riffs fading away to Phil’s gifted lyricism paired with acoustic guitar. It sounds like Phil created a thunderstorm for us. I look forward to one day sitting on a porch drinking coffee on a rainy day in Portland and zoning out to this song. Phil’s lyrics discuss his perspective on death as a kid, a pregnancy scare he had in his early 20s on a one-night stand, and the fear of giving up the “independence and solitude” that defined him then. Another thunderous guitar riff segues the change in the lyrical subject matter to the recent past, with simple and pleasant piano notes adding to the familiar acoustic guitar that remains consistent throughout the song. Phil fast forwards 11 years to reflect on his own thoughts on a flight from New Zealand to Australia after his wife had died. He crushingly reflects in the next verse the final moments holding his wife in his arms. The reality of that moment puts the listener in the room with Phil. And he ends the song with a line revealing a potential for moving on with his life, where he sings… “but in my tears, light gleams.”

The song “Now Only” will be remembered for that warm and pleasant guitar riff at both the start and finish. The song transitions from that riff in the beginning to an almost comical chorus (in the sense that the lyrics do not match the upbeat music), but rightfully done. It is a great song and uniquely creative. A heavy emotional part follows the chorus (repeated twice). At the end of the second pass through, that warm and pleasant guitar riff reappears for a memorable ending.

“Earth” almost has a sort of black metal feel (it’s not black metal), and Phil even references the black metal band, Wolves in The Throne Room, with a brief recording of one of their songs in the background toward the end. His transitions in this song are pretty somber and enduring, in particular the riff paired with the line “everybody who used to know us…seems concerned” and again when he says “I saw actual chunks of your bones, bleached and weathered.” The finish to this song (right after Wolves in the Throne Room in the background) had a lyrical theme that reminded me of the lyrics to Deafheaven’s “Gifts for the Earth.” It is sad that Phil’s song describes his desire to be reunited with his wife. Words don’t do this song justice but it is a standout on the album for me.

I’ll briefly describe the last two songs for length’s sake. “Two Paintings by Nikolai Astrup” connects two paintings by artist Nikolai Astrup to Phil’s memories of his wife, and Phil’s reality of having to move on alone as a father to their young daughter. “That’s why I’m not waiting around anymore” provides a tinge of inspiration to the listener, and to me may allude to Phil being able to move past his grief. Phil is connecting foxgloves springing up in the painting to where he will build his future house, alone, and ends the song with “now you will recede into the paintings.”

The song “A Crow pt. 2” painfully describes Phil’s daily routine of life without Genevieve, as he sees her everywhere. The ending is sublime. At times, it can be tough to dive into this record, as these lyrics are real. It’s an astonishing finish to a one-of a-kind, essential album.

The final verse appears like this in the lyric sheet:

“If

you

still

hang

in the branches

like

burnt

wood

I will go out beneath

with

arms

reached

and run my fingers through the air

where

you

breathed,

touching your last breath,

reaching through to the world of the gone

with my hand empty.”

Khemmis, Desolation

Khemmis, Desolation

John Fisher, August 4, 2018

I try to stick with buying one vinyl a month, and I carefully listen to new music that recently released before committing to the album I pick. When I settle on the vinyl purchase, I download it to my iTunes library, and listen to it in the car and on headphones for a week or so, and have a little solo celebration when the vinyl arrives. It happens maybe only one or two glorious times per month when I can put the vinyl on and crank the speakers full blast while nobody is home. But when it happens, it can be a highlight of my week.

I knew Khemmis was releasing towards the end of June, and I didn’t want to wait most of the month for new music, so for June, I went with Svalbard (good album/good message). That meant Khemmis was the shoe-in for July. So I ordered it and downloaded it, and spent a lot of time listening to Desolation during the month of July. A lot of time. I knew Deafheaven and BTBAM (aka metal royalty) were releasing in July but I figured I could hold those til August. Nope, couldn’t wait on those. So I bought all 3 for July with BTBAM & DH arriving late July. Khemmis gets the nod though, for this, my first album review.

“Bloodletting” – Huge riff to kick things off! 15 repeats before a mini solo for the 16th and into… “Have we gone blind?”…what a great album opening song. I like that they opened with a song that long time metal fans will appreciate. This song sets the tone for this band and this album. You’re going to enjoy some heavy metal first. After multiple listens on the journey of listening to Desolation as a complete project, I appreciate the variance in style from song to song, and this album starts with a metal song.

"Isolation" – Approachable one for all your friends who sort of listen to metal. This is a fun song. Catchy riff on perfect schedule followed by some horse galloping. Great song and may be a go-to song to pull in new Khemmis fans. Gets epic toward the end, but this ain’t the climax of the album by a longshot.

“Flesh to Nothing” – “From Ruin” or the end of “The Seer” (listen for the viola finish) may possess the most memorable parts on the album, but the climax of “Flesh to Nothing" is my personal favorite part on the record. It is truly impressive and reveals the elite combination of talented songwriting and technical skill level that Khemmis possesses. I love songs where the song is meant as a vehicle for the climax. Meshuggah’s “Humiliative” is one of those songs. After listening to “Flesh to Nothing” many times, I found it comparable, not in style or structure, but in the manner in which it cleverly unveils the beast it possesses. In “Flesh to Nothing,” the trek from [“Run Away, cast off his weight…” to “THIS BODY, NO LONGER A VESSEL” and all the way to, “Make way…I have time” (ultimately taking you to the peak)] is truly a magnificent part to any song I’ve heard, with guitar solos for the ride down. The rest of the songs (3 more) are solid, and completely different from one another. If you bought the vinyl, you’d also have this awesome lyric sheet (with artwork) to go along with the music, which adds another layer to the album. I was also lucky enough to see Khemmis live in San Francisco @ The Regency Ballroom before hearing any of their music (pic below). Good stuff Khemmis, enjoy The Maw of Time, and thank you for this album!