#mar25 — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #mar25, aggregated by home.social.
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Deafheaven – Lonely People with Power Review
By Doom_et_Al
You never forget your first love. The sense of wonder and excitement, a world you had only heard and read about, opening up to you like a flower on a Summer’s day. Deafheaven was my first (in a metal sense). The combination of furious black meal, searing post metal, and fuzzy shoegaze, mixed with a dollop of genuine longing, totally rewired my brain. Which means that if you’re looking for a coldly analytical review of a band’s sixth album, you should probably go elsewhere. Deafheaven is part of my DNA, and a new album will always be a big deal, even if we’ve drifted apart over the years. You see, while I’ve enjoyed the band’s output since the wondrous Sunbather, it’s been clear that Deafheaven and I have been moving in different directions. And this was confirmed with Infinite Granite. I respected the band’s bravery in trying something new; I just didn’t like the result much. Shiny, pretty post-rock is nothing to be ashamed of. But the Deafheaven I loved were all about embracing the fury of black metal to highlight their emotional beats. Without that tension, Infinite Granite felt weightless. And my relationship with Deafheaven almost went from “It’s complicated” to “Splitsville”…
… Except, there was “Mombasa,” the final song on Infinite Granite. Specifically, the final 3 minutes of “Mombasa.” Deafheaven broke the shackles, George Clarke’s shrieks roared forth, and within was a reminder of what the band was capable of. Was that denouement a farewell to a style they were abandoning, or a promise that they had not forgotten their roots? Lonely People with Power answers, and boy does it answer.
After a brief intro, the band kicks off with “Magnolia,” which is one of the meaner cuts of Deafheaven’s oeuvre, and completely devoid of the shininess of anything on Infinite Granite, including the clean vocals. On first listen, I wondered if this was a repudiation of that album; an abandonment of that sound and an acknowledgement that “mistakes were made.” But as “Heathen” hits its chorus, you realize Lonely People with Power is a lot more interesting than that. You see, the post-rock sounds of Infinite Granite have not been abandoned; they’ve just been folded into Deafheaven’s existing aesthetic. Which means that not only is Lonely People with Power their most complete and harmonious record to date, but it also retroactively improves Infinite Granite.
Although Deafheaven have always been comfortable with what they are not – i.e., a “trve kvlt” black metal band, it has sometimes felt that they were less comfortable with what they are. After the stunning Sunbather, the band oscillated between “mean” (New Bermuda), “pretty” (Ordinary Corrupt Human Love), and “post rock” (Infinite Granite). Lonely People with Power somehow finds a way to incorporate all these elements in a cohesive, stunning whole. Its gnarly tracks (“Magnolia,” “Revelator”) are gnarly, it’s pretty tracks (“Heathen,” “Winona”) are downright gorgeous, and the hybrids (“The Garden Route”, “The Marvelous Orange Tree”) feel natural and complementary. What ties all of these together is the emotional core that Deafheaven bring. Among contemporaries, perhaps only Gaerea are anywhere near them in terms of the ability to achieve that ecstatic, cathartic release this music thrives on. Lonely People with Power is brimming with pain and longing and wonder and fury. For the first time, the band has the musical language to convey all of these and then some.
Performances across the board are top-notch. Dan Tracy’s exceptional drumming brings power and force to the harder tracks, and wisely cuts back during the gentler moments. George Clarke’s howls and shrieks have never been the strongest attribute of the band, but he brings a unique intensity and connection that anyone who has attended one of their live shows will attest to. But the real star of the show is lead guitarist Kerry McCoy. McCoy has battled his own demons and writer’s block to create these furious, gorgeous, compelling gems. His guitar soars and dives, and he is able to find beauty in even the ugliest, more twisted compositions.
Sunbather, for all the ridiculous accusations of being “hipster metal,” had that thing. That thing that is impossible to define but is sprinkled liberally on all the best albums. There’s a reason Sunbather remains iconic. It is too early to say whether Lonely People with Power is a match for that masterpiece, but it has that thing, too. It is Deafheaven’s most mature and complete work to date; a synthesis of everything that has come before without being derivative or overly reliant. It plays to the band’s strengths, and wears its unironic heart on its sleeve. If Deafheaven aren’t your vibe, this won’t change your mind – it is, above all, a defiantly Deafheaven album through and through. For everyone else, this is an essential and timeless collection of tracks. It reminds us of the power of metal music to connect and move. But it also fucking reminds us that Deafheaven are not just back; they never left.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Roadrunner Records
Website: deafheaven.com
Releases Worldwide: March 28th, 2025#2025 #45 #AmericanMetal #BlackMetal #Blackgaze #Deafheaven #LonelyPeopleWithPower #Mar25 #Review #Reviews #RoadrunnerRecords
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By Iceberg
Kazea hail from Sweden, home of the Björiff and the chainsaw song of the HM2. But on their debut album, I. Ancestral, the Gothenburg trio promise to blend “the power of post-rock, the haunting melodies of neo-folk, and the crushing weight of sludge.” If the mere mention of sludge hasn’t sent you screaming from the room, good, because you’re in for a treat today. I dealt with posty sludge from labelmates Besra in my n00b days, but throwing neo-folk into the mix puts an unusual spin on the situation. While both styles revel in their simplicity of content, the open soundscapes of folk could provide much-needed contrast against sludge’s distorted chugging. Or it could devolve into a mishmash of styles that don’t share any common language. Whatever the musical case, there’s no denying the gorgeous poetry of Frederico Garcia Lorca in opener “With A Knife:” “Green, how I want you green. Green wind. Green branches. The ship out on the sea. The horse on the mountain.” Color me intrigued.
Kazea choose to separate and highlight, rather than amalgamate, their stylistic influences, a gamble that pays off more often than not. Dusky acoustic guitars reminiscent of Gustavo Santaolalla or A Romance With Violence-era Wayfarer lead the folk-inspired sections, evoking untamed, pagan wilderness (“With A Knife,” “A Strange Burial”). The sludge, which forms the backbone of Kazea’s sound, is more Melvins than Mastodon, and a lot of American Scrap-era Huntsmen, with fuzzy guitars and stomping drum patterns (“Whispering Hand,” “Wailing Blood”). Jonas Mattsson’s vocals may be a bit controversial here, with their Billy Corgan-esque nasal quality, but the more I listened to I. Ancestral the more Mattsson’s performance stuck with me. I hear shades of Layne Staley in his scrawling delivery, and while I wasn’t always able to discern the lyrics, his dynamic croon forms the beating heart of the album’s post-metal tunes (“Trenches,” “Seamlessly Woven”).
For a band handing in their debut record, Kazea slither and wind their way around 37 minutes with the hallmarks of seasoned songwriters. An air of storytelling pervades the album, with memorable spoken word fragments (“A Little Knife,” “A Strange Burial”) and ambient soundscapes (“The North Passage,” “Seamlessly Woven”) delivering post-metal’s cinematics within a sludge framework. Post-metal swells and crashes à la This Will Destroy You and Isis are found on “Trenches” and “Seamlessly Woven,” and while these are unsurprisingly the longest tracks on the record they handle their duration well, with the latter providing one of the strongest, heart-wrenching choruses I’ve heard all year long. Even “Whispering Hand,” which is something akin to pop sludge, is a radio-ready anthem full of earworms that evokes the better moments of Them Crooked Vultures.
I. Ancestral is a promising opening for Kazea’s proposed musical series, and its flaws are few and far between. Daniel Olsson’s drums are powerful, and the groove laid down in “The North Passage” marches in mammoth lockstep with Rasmus Lindbolm’s bass, but the minimalist tribal kick/toms/snare pattern begins to feel a bit overused the longer one listens to the record. “Pale City Skin” and “Wailing Blood” both start strongly but spin their riff wheels a touch too long, giving in to the tendency of both sludge and post-metal to utilize repetition for content. And while a master by Cult of Luna’s Magnus Lindberg is roomy and darkly colorful, the vocal mix does get buried in the busier sections of the album, which is a shame because these constitute some of the best music I. Ancestral has to offer (“Trenches,” “Seamlessly Woven”). But the overall impression of Kazea’s debut beats its blemishes, presenting a stark and unique voice formed from disparate influences.
“…with a knife. With a little knife that just fits into the palm.” The chilling denouement of “With A Knife” has stuck with me as I’ve ruminated over I. Ancestral. It neatly encapsulates the album, weaving shadowy, wooded energy into an unlikely combination of post-metal and sludge. The album is smartly edited and easy to pore over multiple times, with repeat listens revealing some standout moments: “Whispering Hand” is a shamelessly fun sludge anthem, and “Seamlessly Woven” is the most emotionally packed closer I’ve heard since The Drowning’s “Blood Marks My Grave.” I think Kazea have knocked it out of the park with this debut, and are on the verge of coalescing their sound into something truly remarkable. Don’t sleep on these guys.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Suicide Records
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: March 21st, 2025#2025 #35 #GustavoSantaolalla #Hunstmen #IAncestral #Isis #Kazea #Mar25 #Melvins #NeoFolk #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #Sludge #SuicideRecords #SwedishMetal #ThemCrookedVultures #ThisWillDestroyYou #Wayfarer
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By Kenstrosity
Indian nu-metal upstarts Bloodywood deserve every ounce of success they’ve garnered since their early days as a cover band. 2022’s Rakshak was a resounding proof of concept for the band’s original material, effortless and enthusiastic in its uplifting and wholesome messaging delivered through a smooth blend of Indian folk instrumentation and nu-metal aggression. Since then, Bloodywood rapidly gained recognition worldwide, acquiring a contract with Fearless Records, and even earning the distinction of first Indian metal act to hit Billboard charts. For many of our readers, that might spell an ill omen. But it leaves me overjoyed to experience what follow-up Nu Delhi has to offer.
Thankfully, Bloodywood hasn’t touched their core approach. Nostalgic nu metal reigns supreme just as before, bolstered by the region’s traditional instrumentation, which is represented most in the percussion, string, woodwind, brass, and vocal sections. Gruff, rapid-fire raps constitute the rhythmic backbone of Bloodywood’s trademark dueling vocals, while soaring, gravelly cleans and caustic screams provide the melodic and metallic sinew that connects verse to chorus. A renewed focus on pervasive hooks, swaggering riffs, and tight songwriting allows many, if not all, of Nu Delhi’s eight songs to stick even as its 33 minutes fly by. Above all, Nu Delhi is fun, and that’s all I needed from Bloodywood’s follow-up to a breakout record like Rakshak.
Against the established convention, lead single “Nu Delhi” closes this record, encapsulating everything Bloodywood does well, with a satisfying wiggle and groove personifying its almost djenty riffsets. The song may be simple and straightforward, but it gets stuck in my head for days at a time. Such is my affliction with all of Nu Delhi’s best cuts, the highest watermarks of which are the center one-two punch of “Bekauf (ft. BABYMETAL”) and “Kismat.” I did not have “enjoying a song with a BABYMETAL feature” on my bingo card this year, but here we are; the song simply rocks. Furthermore, hearing how much more mature BABYMETAL’s vocalist(s) sounds here is a breath of fresh air. “Kismat” takes the hype “Bekhauf” generates and doubles down with incredible confidence. Serious bars trade blows with one of the album’s best choruses, supported by the album’s strongest guitar, synth, and drum work. Delivered with tons of passion, these cooperative contributions culminate in an exciting bout of aggro fun that carries through Nu Delhi’s conclusion. As an added note, I appreciate the uplifting, empowering message Nu Delhi delivers. Without a sheet to help me through the Hindi lyrics, I can still confidently say Nu Delhi is an album about believing in yourself, not giving in to hate or hatred, fighting corruption, supporting your community, and pushing forward to leave those who would rather see you fail back at the starting line. I need messages like this one in my music, now more than ever, so I extend my thanks to Bloodywood for bringing it.
All that said, Nu Delhi lacks a true showstopper. Rakshak has the inimitable “Yaad,” an unqualified triumph of a song that easily snagged my Song o’ the Year in 2022. No such ultra-banger exists here, much to my chagrin. Nu Delhi is more consistent in overall song quality in a valiant attempt to offset that shortcoming, but other small nitpicks conspire to bring the end product down just a smidge from its predecessor. An example, opening duo “Halla Bol” and “Hutt” are the most “forgettable” selections of the set, their hooks and riffs not quite as sharp as those of its stronger album-mates. Elsewhere, all of Nu Delhi’s traditional instrumentation finds better integration with metallic elements, indicating improvements in mixing. However, the album still sounds compressed to bits (though it is hard to be certain when evaluating a stream promo). As a final nitpick, I would like to see these English lyrics massaged a bit further. Rap and hip-hop live and die by the verse, and there are moments where Bloodywood toe that line too closely with some awkward phrasing (“Tadka”).
In accordance with my mission statement of “destroying AMG’s metal cred from within,” I award Bloodywood another positive score. Largely circumventing the dreaded “sophomore slump,” Nu Delhi is a worthy successor to the addicting Rakshak. It may not have that list-topping song that would push Nu Delhi to the next level, but its high fun factor and consistent quality make a compelling value statement for 33 minutes of your time. Nu metal detractors need not venture here, but I invite everyone else to gather ‘neath the Bloodywood tree, for we rejoice in the rise of Nu Delhi!
Rating: Good!
DR: Streaming Bastards Get No DRs | Format Reviewed: Stream (BAD LABEL! BAD!)
Label: Fearless Records
Websites: bloodywood.bandcamp.com | bloodywood.net
Releases Worldwide: March 21st, 2025#2025 #30 #Bloodywood #FearlessRecords #FolkMetal #GrooveMetal #IndianMetalMetal #Mar25 #NuDelhi #NuMetal #RapMetal #Review #Reviews
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After two previous marches marked by assaults and other obstacles, civil rights activists, including Martin Luther King, Jr., complete a 4-day 50-mile march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, under the protection of federally-mandated troops #OTD in 1965. These marches greatly increased the political pressure that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act later that year.
Today's art is by John Hopkins: https://www.alabamanews.net/2015/02/27/max-credit-union-donates-selma-to-montgomery-march-painting/