Pelican– Angel Tears (JK Broadrick Remix)

Your music is weak. Like clock radio speakers. Unfortunately, most metal sounds like it was recorded with clock radio speakers. Pelican’s new EP is no exception, although in their case it was more of a conscious choice than in the past, when metal almost prided itself on a DIY approach that included, very prominently, crap production techniques. Surprising, when so many of the group’s prided virtuosity over all. Don’t you want people to hear how good you are, guys? Jesu’s JK Broadrick has no such hang-ups. And, in this remix, makes the fuzzy production work for him, sounding more like a amped-up MBV more than anything else. If this is the direction that drone metal is going in, you won’t see me complaining much.

[visit the website here, buy the EP here]

Cephalic Carnage– Dying Will Be The Death of Me

Perhaps the closest Cephalic will ever get to mall-punk, this song is surprisingly accessible for the group. First, you can actually make out the vocals pretty well. Second, there’s an actual chorus. Third, the structure is pretty easy to discern otherwise. I’m still not sure exactly what to make of the whole thing, though, and I imagine the jury is still out for most fans of the band. It’s nice to hear the group going towards more pop structures in a way, but at the same time, I would have thought that they could do it a bit better than this. Call it a test-run for their next release which I’m sure will be sold in Hot Topics across the nation.

[visit the website here, buy Anomalies here]

Gorgoroth– Proclaiming Mercy

Reason #56 this song is awesome:

Taking the stand in her son’s defense, Gaahl’s mother testified that she found the accusation of blood drinking particularly hard to believe.

“My son is a vegetarian and very fussy about food. He eats absolutely no innards. That is why I do not believe this at all,” Gaahl’s mother told the court.

The court believed the victim’s claim that Gaahl threatened to drink his blood but didn’t believe Gaahl actually meant to do it.

[visit the website here, buy Twilight of the Idols here]