Metal legends Mono are releasing their brand new album, Nowhere Now Here, produced by Steve Albini (Nirvana), on 25th January via Pelagic Records. Now they have booked a headline tour of Europe to support the album, on top of their highly anticipated appearance at Roadburn 2019. Direct support will come from Arabrot, and Jo Quail, making this one of the best tours announced of the early year so far. Pre-order the new Mono album at the link below.
Mono have revealed their new album will be called Nowhere Now Here, and was recorded with music legend Steve Albini (The Pixies, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, PJ Harvey, Helmet). It will be released this coming January 25th via Pelagic Records. Listen to the new single and watch a short film for the track, directed by French director Julien Levy, ‘After You Comes The Flood’ now. Continue reading
It’s hard to believe that the early 1990s are now a full generation plus in the rearview. One of the definitive albums of that era for any music fan is Nirvana’s Nevermind (DGC). Whether you like the band or the album or not, the impact they made with that album is still sending shockwaves being felt today. What about the band themselves? How do you top a masterpiece and a hit album you never wanted? Well if you were Kurt Cobain, you know the answer is you don’t even try. With their follow-up In Utero (also DGC), Cobain undoubtedly felt like they had made an album closer to what they were originally aiming for in their journey as a group: the vibe of raw punk, but with the sophisticated writing of great classic rock. It was a dichotomy that made the band so special and loved by both fans and critics. Of course not knowing at the time it would be their final studio work, but In Utero gives a pretty fair idea of what was possible for the “biggest band in the world” in 1993. Continue reading
Now into their fourth decade of making emotional,spiritual and simply brilliant noise, Neurosis continue to prove (not that we really doubted them) to be in exceptionally rude health. Fires Within Fires (Neurot Recordings) arrives fully formed and brilliantly realised. This is Neurosis’s eleventh album and although it’s early days, it stands easy comparison with their very best. Continue reading
The mighty Neurosis will be unleashing Fires Within Fires tomorrow via Neurot Recordings, but thanks to Noisey, you can hear the crushing masterpiece right now.Continue reading
Enigmatic indie rock geniuses Wovenhand have released a new track from their forthcoming album, Star Treatment. You can hear ‘The Hired Hand’ at this link here or below:
Star Treatment will be available on Sargent House will be available worldwide excluding Europe on LP, CD and download worldwide, except in Europe, where it will be released by longtime Wovenhand label Glitterhouse Records on September 9th. The band previously premiered another album track Stereogum previously premiered the album track ‘Come Brave’.
The band kicks off an extensive tour this weekend, perfroming at Psycho Las Vegas ahead of a huge European tours, with support from Emma Ruth Rundle (also a Sargent House artist).
The driving force of is songwriter/multi-instrumentalist David Eugene Edwards (16 Horsepower). The rest of the band’s current lineup includes guitarist Chuck French, bassist Neil Keener (both of Planes Mistaken For Stars) and drummer Ordy Garrison, now joined by piano/synth player Matthew Smith (Crime & The City Solution). Star Treatment was recorded at Steve Albini’s legendary Electrical Audio in Chicago with engineer Sanford Parker, who also helmed Wovenhand’s 2014 album Refractory Obdurate.
Edwards commented on Star Treatment:
“It’s ethereal in its concept. There are many layers, as always. I’ve been paying attention to the stars in the sky and in literature, and it’s a theme throughout the album.” He adds, “There’s more love song style on this in general, which is nice. The idea of what love is and how it’s expressed and all these different atmospheres.”
Wovenhand – Star Treatment
01. Come Brave
02. Swaying Reed
03. The Hired Hand
04. Crystal Palace
05. Crook and Flail
06. The Quiver
07. All Your Waves
08. Golden Blosson
09. Go Ye Light
10. Five by Five
11. Low Twelve
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Norwegian rock pioneers Årabrot have announced a full European tour, including a run of UK tour dates in anticipation of their forthcoming album The Gospel (Fysisk Format), releasing February 26th.
Årabrot frontman Kjetil Nernes comments:
“Årabrot on the road 2016 – in search of something to fill the void – is the culmination of everything the band have done so far and definitely introduces the strongest lineup to date. Beware!”
Nernes also commented on writing the album while undergoing treatment for malignant throat cancer last year:
“The theme of the Gospel is a vision of the lonely warrior on a summit looking out over a battle field, the smoke from the bomb craters, an all-encompassing silence. The war was against one self; against the ugliness, against the sickness. You sink to the bottom of the sea. All of a sudden you are back on the surface again, stupefied. And hungry! A wicked hunger for everything human life has to offer: Sex! War! Drugs! You breathe, but not like before. “The man who has been in hell never forget’”
The Gospel was partly recorded at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio in Chicago and partly in the old church in the woods of Dalarna, Sweden. The album features the band and some stellar guest performances from Ted Parsons (Swans, Killing Joke, Jesu, Prong), Andrew Liles (Current 93/Nurse With Wound), Stephen O’Malley (SunnO))/KTL), Erlend Hjevik (Singer, Kvelertak), Emil Nikolaisen (Serena Maneesh 4AD), and Kristoffer Lo (Highasakite/Trondheim Jazz Orchestra).
Årabrot is:
Kjetil Nernes – vocals, EGCs, synths
Milton von Krogh – guitars
Magnus Nymo – drums
Lasse Marhaug – noise
Johannes Høie – art
Karin Park – vocals, electric piano, synths
Årabrot European tour dates:
Mar 04: Nalen, Stockholm, SE
Mar 05: Smedjan, Go: enburg, SE
Mar 08: Urban spree, Berlin, DE
Mar 09: Arena, Wien, AT
Mar 10: FreakOut, Bologna, IT
Mar 11: Traffic, Roma, IT
Mar 12: Lo-Fi, Milano, IT
Mar 13: L´ Usine, Geneve, CH
Mar 15: Magasin 4, Bruxelles, BE
Mar 16: dB´s, Utrecht, NL
Mar 17: Corsica Studios, London, UK
Mar 18: Lost @ B-Arts, Stoke-On-Trent, UK
Mar 19: Nice n Sleazy, Glasgow, UK
Mar 20: Chunk, Leeds, UK
Mar 22: Instant Chavires, Paris, FR
Mar 23: Accueil Froid Nuke, Amiens, FR
Mar 24: The Pit´s, Kortrijk, BE
Mar 26: Iparragirre, Gernika, ES
Mar 27: Ahotsgora, Gasteiz, ES
Mar 28: Antiguos Almacenes de la Mina, Udias, ES
Mar 29: Liceo Mutante, Pontevedra, ES
Mar 30: Lata de Zinc, Oviedo, ES
Mar 31: Orbeko Etxea – Llodio, Pais Vasco, ES
Apr 01: Ocho y Medio, Alicante, ES
Apr 02: La Residencia, Valencia, ES
Apr 03: Velvet, Malaga, ES
Apr 05: Inciviczone, Barcelona, ES
Apr 06: Grnnd Zero, Lyon, FR
Apr 07: Gaswerk, Winter: ur, CH
Apr 08: Hühnermanhattan Klub, Halle, DE
Jun 4: Temples Festival, Bristol UK
Pre-Order: http://www.tigernet.no/artist/160
Including the LTD LP box version and the new 7″ on Sheep Chase.
Tickets where applicable www.arabrot.com
Årabrot on Facebook
The Truth of Revolution, Brother: An Exploration of Punk Philosophy (Situation Press) is an interesting look at many of the common philosophies within the rebellious genre and it also acts as a biography for some of its key figures. Through a series of interviews authors Lisa Sofianos, Robin Ryde and Charlie Waterhorse, have crafted an insightful and at times dense examination of the personal beliefs that fuel the music, particularly in anarcho-punk.
Culled from over 20 different interviews with subjects including the likes of former Dead Kennedy’s vocalist Jello Biafra, producer Steve Albini and firebrand Gavin McInnes, The Truth of Revolution, Brother feels like a great documentary that hasn’t been shot yet. Punk isn’t just music, for the faithful it’s an unshakable bond that informs all of their daily decisions. It was an artistic liberation because it wasn’t the usual prog and arena rock that permeated the 1970s. If you had something to say now you can now express yourself even if you can’t play your instrument very well or have a record label to back you up. All the weirdos were allowed.
“Punk changed the whole world for me,” says Albini. “Punk changed all of my friends. Everything that I do with my life. This studio. All of this that I am doing for a living. Everyone I know. Every significant friend I’ve ever had. Every significant life experience that I have had, I owe that to the Ramones.”
However, it is also quick to point out that while punk was the undiscriminating genre when it came to musical prerequisites, age or sex; it is also very much steeped in hierarchy as you are allowed to come in and participate only if you wear the right boots and black shirts. The prevailing Do-It-Yourself ethos acts as the backbone that allows punk to stand, but also means that there is less focus on quality control as anyone can come in and take a swing at it. Doing it yourself can sometimes lead to doing it badly.
But for me what was most interesting about this tome is that so many of the interviewed always pointed to anarcho-punk trailblazers Crass as one of their main inspirations and the reason for adopting the punk lifestyle. The consensus is that they were the first punk band to adopt the DIY mantra, foster pro-environmentalist habits and call for everyone to drop competiveness out of their nature in order to improve the community.
“What is so deeply emotional for me about Crass, in particular, is that when I was sent to the correctional boarding school I was completely alone” says Jon Gnarr. “And I was so afraid that I carried a knife. I felt so alone, and there was nobody to tell me right from wrong, there weren’t even teachers at that place, so at a very difficult time in my life, Crass was there for me.” Feeling dissatisfied with his government’s handling of the 2008 Icelandic financial crisis, Gnarr would use some of that punk influence and form the satirical Best Party. In a shocking upset Gnarr ran and was elected mayor of Reykjavík in 2010.
So many other of the interview subjects continuously cite the short lived anarchist bent Essex unit, that it starts to feel like that you are getting an oral history of the band. Adding to that feel are insightful chapters directly from former Crass members Steve Ignorant, Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher.
Something worth noting is that with so many citing the same artists and similar philosophies as vital the book can begin to feel a tad repetitive towards the middle, but all things considered it shines a bright light on the inner machinations of one of rock’s most extreme wings. Now if we could only get that complete Crass biography.
8.0/10
HANSEL LOPEZ
A wail of feedback, a sludgy, laconic riff, a jarring bass line and Success (Season of Mist) shudders into being in the style of that too-cool-to-give-a-fuck band that ambles on stage and begins the song with each member starting at their own pace and point of choice. KEN Mode, kings of the post-surf/noise rock power-trio kingdom stroll acerbically into their sixth album.
Jesse Matthewson, known for intelligent, confrontation and biting observations, has chosen to measure his delivery this time, and most of his outpourings are part-spoken and spat, rather than roared or thrown from his maw, seemingly intent on imparting off-centre soundbites. “I would like to kill the nicest man in the world” he states at the outset of ‘These Tight Jeans’, where he trades off lines with Jill Clapham in both a catchy and knowingly cool fashion, channelling his inner Jesus Lizard.
The hand of Steve Albini is present all through, as the In Utero (Geffen) producer skuzzes up ‘The Owl’, an astringent swagger with stoner undertones, before a bass crunk and cello mid-section pull the song into a discordant yowl over clashing chords, as KEN Mode play with the notion of traditional song-structure effectively. Sonic Youth would be proud.
Yet all is not rosy in KEN and Barbie’s world. There is a nagging feeling that while Clutch (for whom KEN Mode certainly owe a something to) are naturally and instinctively quirky, for the first time KM things feel a bit forced, as if stating “Handfuls of proverbial shit tossed over and over against that same proverbial wall” (‘Blessed’) is a little close to the mark, and that moving to a more caustic pop sound may be contrived, such as on the overly self-aware and smug ‘A Passive Disaster’. The cap might not fit at the moment, but all it would take is adjusting the clasp at the back. At times, this new KEN Mode just sits a little uncomfortably. But then such doubts are stomped to dust by the rising dynamic of ‘Management Control’ which builds to feedback end, or the exemplary dark, brooding, sprawling ‘Dead Actors’, that recalls The Doors clashing with a more progressive Nirvana.
Mixing a Clutch of stoner, a Tad of grunge and pinch of Mudhoney slovenliness in their Helmet of groove, KEN Mode can consider their transition a Success. Just.
7.0/10
STEVE TOVEY
Chris Hornbrook, photo provided by ChrisHornbrook.com
Chris Hornbrook has been one of the most distinctive drummers in music for almost 20 years. Best known for his work with seminal modern metal innovators Poison The Well, in addition to sitting behind the kit for Senses Fail for the last few years, Chris is also known for his work with Big Black Delta and many other live and session gigs. For a guy as accomplished as he is, he comes across as humble and positive; something you can’t say about everyone who has been in the business this time.
Having just reunited with Poison The Well to play two shows, this seemed like a good place to begin:
They were really great and I personally had a blast. The headlining gig was obviously our thing, so that was a bit more fun because we had control over how the show went in terms of venue, lighting, monitors, etc. The set list felt really good, as was the people in the audiences enthusiasm and excitement. Skate and Surf was cool and I had a good time, too. A bit of a shorter set and since it wasn’t our show, the less control over all the variables that can make or break a show. Overall, it was really great.
Poison The Well in 2015, photo by Luis Ruiz
We next asked about the spark that brought PTW back together again and if there would be other shows in the future:
I think it had been in the back of heads for a while. We never stopped playing and recording because we didn’t want to create with one another or hated each other’s guts. PTW stopped because it had become too taxing for some and a few of the band members felt like it was time to take a step back. A break was needed. We’ll have to wait and see what happens in the future with other shows. Nothing is confirmed yet.
Looking back, a lot of today’s bands, especially metalcore bands, owe Poison The Well some props at least as one of the originators of the style. We wondered if Chris, when he hears modern bands, does he feels proud, ripped off, or nonplussed?
I mean I would never say we were the originators of the whole “metalcore” thing. There were a ton of bands that came way before us that had laid the ground work down and produced some really interesting and cool stuff. From my perspective, we just wrote the right record at the right time. I think we could modestly take credit for helping popularizing that sound in the early 2000’s. In terms of today’s metalcore scene, I really have no feeling in either direction. I don’t listen to that genre much anymore and if I do dip into something heavy, it’s more of a “boutique” band and/or sound.
Being a band that was innovative and leader in their sub-genre, and then changed radically; sometimes this has the fan base at odds with a band and their creative choices. We asked if Chris agreed or disagreed with this notion:
Thank you and I agree with you. What I’ve come to see and learn is people get very emotionally attached to a record because of where they were in their lives at that point. What that record did to help them out and pull them through whatever time they were having, good or bad. So they REALLY get attached. It’s like they develop a personal and close relationship with that record much like a girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, or wife. Additional to that, people don’t like change, which is something that I find ironic as life is constantly changing. But, we’re creatures of habit and comfort…
So with that being said, when you serve up something that sounds different, you’re normally met with, well, whatever you’re met with. Sometimes good, but more likely than not, critical and bad because it’s not what they envisioned you to do. So PTW just learned not to really care, as being creative, trying new things and pushing into territory that we hadn’t been before became number one. This was advantageous and detrimental all at once.
Senses Fail just wrapped up a spring tour and their new album Pull The Thorns From Your Heart (Pure Noise) drops in about a month. What can fans expect from the record?
An extremely heavy record, very different than the bands past work. Once again, this is going to get very polarized responses. I’m trying to approach it the same way I do with PTW, not really caring because negativity can take its toll on you if you let it in.
Over the arc of a long career that started when he was still in high school, Chris has worked with some of the greats in music production. We asked if he had a favorite producer (production team and if there was anyone he’d like to work with given the chance.
Yes, I’m very lucky to have worked with some of the people that I have. I respect all the dudes that I’ve worked with in different ways and have taken different bits from each person, one not superseding the other. Hopefully, I can check off a few more names before I die. I’d really like to work with Steve Albini, Joe Barresi, Ken Andrews, Rick Rubin, Dave Fridmann just to name a few.
Booked for all of 2015 with projects and tours, we asked about his other gigs since he seems to be perpetually working:
Yes! I’m very lucky and stoked to have a full year of work. I’m already starting to hear of plans for next year, which is great. In terms of other projects, I have one with Beau from Saosin, but that’s been put on hold. We’re both really busy at the moment. Hopefully, we can resume sometime towards the end of the year.
Lastly we wanted to know what he does in his down time and what hobbies Chris enjoys
I’m a busy body / work-o-holic. I have to stay busy doing something or I’ll lose my mind. So, with that being said, I generally bounce in between drumming and learning more of that craft, spending time with my girlfriend and friends, and keeping on top of whatever business stuff I have going on. I fill in as much space as I can.
Chris Hornbrook can be seen this summer on the Vans Warped Tour with Senses Fail. You can follow his other projects and book him for lessons via his website.
KEITH CHACHKES