ALBUM REVIEW: Diablo Swing Orchestra – Swagger and Stroll Down The Rabbit Hole


I’m sure none of you will take too much umbrage if I begin this by noting that, as a collective, rock and metal fans have not always been traditionally recognised as being open-minded or welcoming of acts that embrace fun as a way of life. And that’s even with ‘No Mosh No Core No Fun’ not become a genre-wide approach. That isn’t to say that there aren’t successes – Devin has always been indulged his gastric and wacky fascinations, Mr Bungle have always defied any and everything, and others have long-since smashed down the irony door.Continue reading


LIVESTREAM REVIEW: En Minor Live at the Orpheum


En Minor is a project that had been rattling around in Philip H. Anselmo“s head since he was a child; they are an unexpectedly emotional and deeply serious sound that freefalls out of the genres most of the band members are associated with, including Anselmo himself, and into uncharted territory. Unconventional and, in many ways, experimental, their 2020 release, When the Cold Truth Has Worn Its Miserable Welcome Out (Housecore Records) is steeped in reverence to the Jazz tradition in New Orleans, and maybe more markedly serves as a morose interpretation of a Jazz Funeral March with hints of Vaudeville; an unironic gothic twist on Tom Waits that Anselmo has since self-described as Depression Core.

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