grindy

I'm actually more happy that you got something out of this than I'd have been if I won. Guess I'm not as sadistic as the legends foretell...or something.
Cheers, Trolls. Thanks for listening.

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A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.

Trollheart

Yeah I thought you might be. Given that you're always trying to get me into what you call "real" prog I knew it would probably tickle you if you managed to succeed. Pretty cool album really. Thanks.

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

GD

Next review when?

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lasty|rate-y music-y

Guybrush

If the next one up is my Aksak submission, then it should be a doozy. You'll love it, TH!

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Something Completely Different

Trollheart

Thanks guys. Working on it now.

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Trollheart

Title: Un Peu de l' me des Bandits
Artist: Aksak Maboul
Year: 1980
Genre: Avant-rock
Challenge set by: Guybrush

Right, well there are two things that worry me about this. The first is my least favourite double-barrelled word: avant-garde. The second is my least favourite acronym, RIO (Rock in Opposition). Both of these indicate that I will not have an easy time with this album, and whether the fact that it’s all instrumental will be a bonus or a detriment, I have no idea. Glancing down, I also note words such as “dissonant”, “atonal”, “noisy” and “punk”, which don’t do anything to calm my nerves. suppose I can be thankful for small mercies: on an album like this one I would expect long, rambling compositions in the ten-minute-plus range, but no, checking the track listing the longest I can see is one that runs for just over seven, and to be fair it’s not like there’s thirty of them or anything, only a total of nine tracks. So a running time, then, of just over 43 minutes. Will it be 43 minutes too long? Let’s find out.

Well, it didn’t help that neither of the sources I checked (Wiki and Discogs) allowed me to copy the track listing without screwing up my formatting, forcing me to write it all out by hand. Damn it. Odd how some titles are in English, some appear to be in French, others in Italian and still others in German? I guess if it’s all instrumental it don’t matter, but weird anyway. Right. On we go.

“Modern Lesson”

Begins with some sort of chanty stuff, thick bass and hollow percussion, and someone screeching in a language I don’t understand. Very annoying though. Thought they said this was all instrumental? Oh I see: I missed the word “largely”. Yer wan seems to be having some sort of fit: perhaps someone should dial for an ambulance? No? Have it your way then. Discordant piano doesn’t help, and it might be organ too? Don’t really care. Pretty much hate this so far and I don’t expect it to get any easier. Okay well nothing to like here. Moving on.

“Palmiers En Pots”

Sounds a whole lot better, with a flowing piano and cello or violin in a sort of twenties or thirties style romantic tune. Very relaxing, though I doubt it will remain that way for long. Still, the whole thing runs for barely three minutes so, maybe. Second part gets more bouncy, with trumpet I think, or maybe sax, something brass anyway, in a sort of marching, tango-like rhythm. I would definitely say I like this, which surprises me, after the first track. Call it my first Nugget, though I would seriously doubt there’ll be a second. Gives me a sense of early Divine Comedy really, quite chamber music in its way.

“Geistige Nacht”

Pretty decent guitar here, with some sort of horn or something (clarinet?) coming in with a high piping sound, and some nice organ. Hey not bad really, not at all. A little chaotic, but more perhaps in a Van der Graaf Generator way than in a John Zorn way. I wouldn’t say I necessarily like this, but hey, I don’t hate it. Brass going a bit wild now, but it seems to come back into some sort of basic semblance of the melody and it’s not tearing my ears off, so there is that. Would I consider it my second Nugget? Nah, that would be pushing it. But it’s not bad. The bit at the end reminds me of some of the work of the RPI bands such as PFI and Banco. Has that kind of feel.

“I Viaggi Formano La Gioventù”

The tapping percussion and piano here are really pretty cool and even the sort of chant is nice; says it’s based on some Turkish song. Well, it may not be my delight (sorry) but it’s not terrible either. I suppose others will be asking me did you ever listen to this stuff? Well you Ottoman! Sorry, sorry, couldn’t resist. Yeah this is really quite good. Second Nugget? Let’s hold that thought for the moment. Definitely gives you the atmosphere, the idea of standing in a bazaar in Ankara or somewhere in the stifling heat, futilely arguing over the price of a bag of dates, or something. Can see Sinbad the Sailor striding through the streets in search of some wizard, or maybe not. This is really growing on me. The guitar riff at the end is great. Yeah, go on then, second Nugget, why not.

“Inoculating Rabies”

This is the one I feared, with the punk guitar, but hey, it’s pretty damn sharp really, and the bassoon and clarinet (it says here) juxtaposed over it is hilarious and yet works really well.

“Cinema”, consisting of:

“Ce Qu' On Peut Voir Avec Un Bon Microscope”

This is the longest track, and it starts off very encouragingly, almost like a cartoon sequence with a sort of staggered clarinet and electric piano maybe? Hard to say but it works. I guess you’d call it improvisational, but it’s not as chaotic or frenetic as I would have expected. Quite laid back really. I think the title translates to “This is what you can see with a good microscope”? Maybe. Reminds me a little of Vangelis’s “Beauborg” in places, quite echoey and spacey. Strange sounds, and effects, makes you think of a soundtrack to some sort of scientific documentary on National Geographic. Sounds like some low-key voices in there too, and now it’s taken a turn to the horror movie with the organ doing that step-thing, like when the murderer is coming up the stairs to kill. Good atmosphere. Again, I couldn’t be honest and say I like this, but I don’t hate it.

“Alluvions”

This more or less segues in from the end of the previous track (not surprisingly, as they’re all part of one suite) but slows things down in a more almost bluesy/jazz style maybe. Some shimmering sounds and then a sort of Tales of the Unexpected riff on maybe clarinet? Kind of building up now it would seem, then a descending, what, organ maybe? Synth? God knows. Good though, and now some sax I think. No I’m still reviewing: I said SAX. Honestly, you people. You know I’m a professional. Professional dick, yes, but still professional. Ticking clock sound now, and a more urgent kind of sound on perhaps xylophone? I see one is used, so maybe it’s that. Hard to say. Guitar solo? As the man from Carlsberg says, probably.

“Azinou Crapoules”

Nice little simple piano line with organ, slow and sedate, seems mostly to be repeating the same phrase over and over. I like this. Nugget three, to my considerable surprise. Feedback guitar, I think, and clarinet now; somehow gives me a James Bond feeling. Sounded like a female voice there, and now I think there’s a kind of wailing vocal going on. Nice ambience, but then it goes into one of those free-style jazzy jams and my interest in it just dropped. Meh.

“Age Route Brra! (Radio Sofia)”

Okay this is annoying. I read that it’s an “improvised imitation of a radio station in Bulgaria”. Well, if they all sound like this they can keep them. Bah. I fail to see the point in this.

Overall though, not as bad as I had expected, not at all. I got to the end, and I got my three Nuggets, so hey, to even my surprise I win this one! This is not by any means an album I would consider listening to again, but neither is it one all copies of which I would want buried in soft peat so nobody could hear again, even by accident. I suppose in the end it’s a case of “could have been worse.”

(Sorry: wanted to add this earlier but for some reason Google image search was down)



Trollheart 1 - Guybrush 0
Trollheart 3 - The World - 1

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The Batlord

Now get to the album designed in a factory to make you hate it.

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Guybrush

Hey, well done, Trollheart! And congrats on your win

I think my favourite track is the one you hated the most, which is the opener. It's supposedly a Bo Diddley cover or inspired by him? Fred Frith is a guest on the track and I believe there's also a cash register and a parrot in there. I believe the vocals are not in any language, just making noises, though I might be wrong. I find it fun and unique.

Everyone thought the band was laid to rest, but an album appeared in 2014 and another in 2021, now with a singer and a bit more avant-pop sound. Some were disappointed, but they got some great songs and overall I prefer the new version of the band.

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Something Completely Different

Trollheart

All right Batty, keep your shirt on (no, really, please do)


I haven't forgotten you.

You're up next. Real soon.

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Trollheart

Title: GI
Artist: The Germs
Year: 1979
Genre: Hardcore Punk
Challenge set by: The Batlord, AKA Trollheart’s Bane

Well I guess I can no longer really avoid this can I? If there’s one thing Batty knows it’s how to push my buttons, so not only has he chosen a hardcore punk album from the end of the 1970s, he’s chosen an AMERICAN hardcore punk album and it’s a DOUBLE! Oh joy! The good thing is that the chances are I won’t get too far into it, as I am currently already hammering my white sheet to the post as I write. I have no doubt this will be a clear victory for him, and if I’m lucky I may get through half the tracks, but I don’t expect to even get that far. It would be quite a victory if I could defeat his designs, but I know him well enough to understand he has very carefully chosen an album he knows, with one hundred percent certainty, will get right on my tits, blow my ears off and have me screaming for mercy within a very few short minutes.

And I would expect he’s right.

All right then, into the valley of death I charge. Or at least, slouch unwillingly. Hey, at least there is one slightly murky lining not as dark as the cloud: being a punk album we’re not talking long songs, in fact some of them are only seconds long. Mind you, the closer is nine, but I’m sure I’ll have given up long before I get to that.

"What We Do Is Secret"

No surprise to hear this barrelling along at top speed, mad guitar, only thirty seconds or so, but they certainly pack a lot into it I must say.

"Communist Eyes"

I guess most of the tracks are going to be more or less the same, so there’s probably not a lot I can write about it. However I will make a tentative point that this is nowhere near as bad as I was expecting. These guys can play, that’s for sure.

"Land Of Treason"

You know, in ways these guys aren’t that different from rawer metal bands like Tank; I can certainly make out the vocal, which is a surprise to me. It’s definitely not just noise.

"Richie Dagger's Crime"

One thing you can’t accuse them of is to be lacking in energy, cos they have that in spades. Must have been exhausting to have been at one of their gigs. Probably exhilarating too though. Vocalist reminds me of early Nick Cave here. Shut up. Hey I really like this one. Who woulda thunk it? Gonna take this as my first Nugget, and very surprised I even have one.

"Strange Notes"

Oh man this is so fast it makes the others seem plodding in comparison. Got a certain Motorhead thing going on here too. That guitar solo - such as it is - is pretty damn cool. That’s my second Nugget already.

"American Leather"

Bits of “Suffragette City” in there at the start. Who said punk bands couldn’t play? Oh yeah: it was me. Well these guys certainly can, and they must be a good showcase for American punk if other bands are like them.

"Lexicon Devil"

This I would characterise as a quasi-Clash thing, with a whole lot of attitude. I’ll tell you one thing: I’d listen to this guy before some death metal vocalists. He certainly seems to be enjoying himself.

"Manimal"

Oh this is excellent. Kind of western movie type theme going on here with a lot of what I would call more metal than punk. Really like this one. Oh man! I just read the vocalist killed himself a year after this album was made. Elphenor may say that’s the punkest thing you can do but it sounds like it was a terrible loss. So this was the only album they released. And this is my third Nugget. You know, I doubt it will be the last, but I only need three, so I’m already well on the way.

"Our Way"

I love the start of this! Again very Clash, or maybe even BAD in a weird kind of way. That guitar riff just slays. The speed has lessened here, and this is a real striding, strutting song that showcases the vocalist’s talents and puts me in mind of Jess Cox, original singer for The Tygers of Pan-Tang.

"We Must Bleed"

The riff here is excellent, the one that opens the song, and then we’re back running at breakneck pace, but damn if it isn’t so much ****ing fun! The chorus is almost like a nursery rhyme or kids playing. Superb. The extended guitar riff at the end is the icing on the cake.

"Media Blitz"

Ah, the machine-gun guitar just punches your face in and the boys are off again. This is a ride on which I had expected to be clinging on by my fingernails, or more likely, jumping off at the earliest opportunity, but to my intense surprise I am really enjoying this rollercoaster. And I hate rollercoasters. The ending is a bit meh, which, oddly, is the first bad thing I’ve had to say about this album.

"The Other Newest One"

I love the way the melody kind of rises on this one. The guitarist kind of holds himself in check here, which is interesting. It is a bit repetitive, but what do you expect?

"Let's Pretend"

Off we go again at full speed after easing back on the throttle a little. Heads-down to the end now? Another great guitar outro.

"Dragon Lady"

The mini-drum solo opening this is sweet. Guitar seems a little further down in the mix, though he makes up for that by racking off some short solos, which is also sweet.

"The Slave"

Oh this is just played at the speed of light! ****ing hilarious! Keep it going, guys! Great, great guitar work.

"Shut Down"

Wow. Starting off with a thick - slow! - bass, and then a menacing guitar as we head into the closer, the longest track by a mile at just over nine minutes. Vocalist singing like a demented version of Waits, the sort of blues beat really suiting the song. The bass line is epic, and the guy on guitar puts his instrument through some histrionics - was that a ****ing PIANO? How did that get in here? This just gets better!

If I was surprised to like SGR’s album I’m gobsmacked that I like this. I had fully expected it to be an ordeal, hands up, wave the surrender flag, you got me dude. But no. I really enjoyed it. Whether I’d listen to more punk is, well, probably pretty certain now, though I expect there are bands out there I just won’t like. But given that Batty characterised this as “an album designed in a factory to make me hate it”, they maybe should shut that factory down, because I know what I hate, and I sure don’t hate this.

To everyone’s - very much including my - surprise and shock.


Trollheart 1 - Batty 0
Trollheart 4 - The World - 1

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018