Coliseum - Sister Faith - It doesn't seem like ten years ago that I was asked to review Coliseum's self-titled debut, but I find that I enjoy their brand of messy, wild, gruff-voiced punk as much as ever on their fourth LP, Sister Faith. At the beginning of their career, their sound was nearly off the rails, like the song might fly apart at any moment and it was only momentum that kept it all together. Even though they've tightened everything up a bit on their newer releases, the feeling is still there in the throaty distortion, heavy bass, and powerful drumming.
Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork - I don't agree with those who say that this is the greatest extant rock band on earth, and I'm going to be honest with you, this is the first album by QOTSA that I've found listenable since Songs for the Deaf. All the stuff in between was too unfocused and dependent on Homme's falsetto singing for me to find enjoyable. Make no mistake, though, ...Like Clockwork doesn't really sound anything like Songs for the Deaf. Homme and company have found a new approach here that borrows more from Bowie circa Aladdin Sane than you might expect, especially on the second half of the record. There are of course the much-touted guest stars, but if they hadn't been so discussed in the pre-release press, you'd probably never know they were there. This album was dangerously over-hyped, but nevertheless manages to be a surprisingly interesting release.
Alice in Chains - The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here- I was pleasantly surprised by 2009's Black Gives Way to Blue, despite being all too willing to can it for its obvious lack of Layne Staley. That album was a reminder that Jerry Cantrell was always Alice's main composer, and was responsible for more of the band's essence than perhaps anyone else in the band. It was also a display of the admirable talents of William DuVall, who stepped in as lead singer to take the vacant spot once filled by one of the most recognizable voices in modern rock music, and ably did a job that can't have been easy. So the comeback provided some quality material, and there's more where that came from on The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here. There may not be any big surprises on the album, but the grinding distortion, phrygian-laced lead work, and vocal harmonies that we all know and love are firmly in place. Layne Staley's voice and lyrics, both of them surprisingly elegant and a little bit venomous, will always be missed, but this new incarnation of AiC has the goods and is worth a listen.
Fauna - Avifauna - Black metal is one of those gut-reaction genres, where no amount of persuasion will convince a person that it's their thing if it isn't. It's like they're physiologically unable to tolerate the sound. That being said, I'm going to tell you how good this black metal record is. Avifauna is Fauna's third LP, and probably their best so far. There are two short interlude tracks sandwiched between three massive epics, ranging from thirty to seventeen minutes. Fauna is one of the tentpole bands of the so-called Cascadian Black Metal scene, and this album is very representative of the sound: long tracks filled with an atmospheric, majestic black metal devoted to natural and pagan themes (Avifauna starts with a minute and a half of birdsong), sprinkled liberally with quiet, moody acoustic passages. Avifauna also plays with drone elements without becoming boring and experiments with strings without sounding lamely "symphonic." It's a beautiful record, if you can handle it.
October Falls - The Plague of a Coming Age - October Falls' previous releases populate a spectrum ranging from minimalist moody folk to rasping black metal whose nature-loving sympathies lay near to the aforementioned Cascadian Black Metal scene (though October Falls hails from Finland). On The Plague of a Coming Age, they've moved out of that more minimalist sound into a much more lush, and maybe even accessible, style of arrangement, experimenting with clean vocals and fuller drum sounds. The black metal style is still present, but it's been augmented by some adventurous techniques (more than one guitar tone!), and a more midtempo feel, a bit like early Opeth. This is a risky move, as black metal fans tend to be pretty unforgiving of change, but this release represents a largely successful experiment. I can't say I wasn't hoping for another album in the vein of their fantastic record The Womb of Primordial Nature, but I can safely say that this record will find a place for itself in my listening nonetheless.
Kylesa - Ultraviolet - Kylesa returns with another dose of their signature brand of sludgy noise tinged with psychedelia. I've been increasingly impressed with this band's output as their career has progressed, and this is another strong release from them. They haven't changed too much about their sound since 2010's Spiral Shadows, but I admire their willingness to pull back from an all-out sonic blast to provide some shading and nuance. Philip Cope delivers a good vocal performance as usual, but it's Laura Pleasants' vocals that are the star of the show for me. The guitar work is dirty and driving with some nice winding psychedelic flourishes throughout, and the dual drummers and sturdy bass provide a more than ample framework for it all. Kylesa seem to know what they're good at and deliver it, but retain their motivation to try out a few new tricks as well. It's a process that ensures reliability as well as relevance.
