Album of the Year 2010 : Santeria - Year Of The Knife

This was meant to be completed before Christmas but circumstances intervened....

I've digested upwards of a hundred albums this year, so to pick a top one is quite the challenge. Although I listened to some incredible Neil Young and Dax Riggs records for the first time this year, as well as some nefandous extreme metal in the name of Neurosis and Goatwhore, the accolade has to go to "Year of the Knife" by Santeria, a little known band from the Deep South who blend hard rock, psychadelica and gentle but sometimes ragged acoustic to awesome effect.

It was thanks to Dax Riggs that I was able to discover this band - they were heavily featured on his now defunct website, theskeletalcircus. Having given a few of their songs a spin on myspace, I got myself a copy of the band's latest works, "Year Of The Knife".

For me, it perfectly combines the gritty edge of 80's GNR with Southern rock stylings, whilst simultaneously amalgamating psychadelic and world music influences. The record positively oozes hedonism and a lust for life, and is ideal for lifting you from the day to day monotony of everyday life. The band manage to give so much life to simple power chords that end up aching with emotion and might. "Nowhere To Go" might as well be the title song for Bukowski's Factorum, the novel I was reading at the time when I first gave this record a spin. The stop-start rhythm of "Haunted Heart" and the gorgeous Les Paul leads of Primo, topped off with Dege's inpassioned and permeating vocals make this an instant classic.

Aside from these pulsating rock moments, the band change the gears to mellower tunes. Check out the beautiful, graceful "Mexico", Dege paints a vivid picture of the ghostly backwaters of the U.S.´s southern neighbour. And if you think you´ve sussed the band out you´re in for a surprise for every subsequent song on the album - the variety on offer is impressive.

This is far more than a collection of songs - this is an album lovers album, one that ebbs and flows and demands to be listened to as a whole, an odyssey of awesomeness. A prominant feature is the use of different,eclectic instruments - the orchestration on the title track is incredible, and perhaps a direct artistic tribute to "Have a Cigar" by Pink Floyd, although only the band would be able to answer that question. The band never come across as ostentatious i.e. "lets cram as many instruments in as possible to look cool" - it´s always tasteful and creative.

This album is a kick in the teeth to anyone who thinks good music, rock music, is on the wane - Santeria have just thrown another huge log on the proverbial fire of rock.

Album Of The Week : Oxbow - The Narcotic Story

Oxbow have been going a while, and 2007's "The Narcotic Story" is their 6th and latest album.

Vocalist Eugene Robinson manages to channel the avant-garde insanity of Mike Patton, the howling depravity of Eyehategod's Mike Williams and the claustraphobic demonic nature of The Jesus Lizard's David Yow, to awesome effect. "It never rains...it fuckin' pours" he lugubriously yowls in "A Winner Every Time", but "She's A Find" has him almost crooning along, accompanied by soothing but subtly unnerving violins. It's pretty unsettling and at times draining listening, but the kind of album that unravells itself after multiple listens.

Despite the singer mumbling and stumbling his way through the album, the instrumental side of Oxbow is formidable - there are some big riffs to be found here, as well as some tripped out clean guitar lines almost reminiscent of 70's/ post rock.

7.5/10

Highlights : "Down A Stair Backward", "She´s A Find"

See also - Mr Bungle, The Jesus Lizard, Eyehategod

Open your ears to these three...

After a month and a half the manehead has returned! I'm sure all two readers of this blog have missed it. But the blog hath risen and will once again feed you with the best and most vital musical information. I thought I'd show you some artists you might not have heard of that I think need to be listened to.

Mithras
Late last year I attended the Damnation Festival in Leeds. Apart from the subterranean insaneness of Electric Wizard, who's stature and prowess speak for themselves, there wasn't much to get excited about. Apart from a band called Mithras. I'm not one for hyperbole, but listening to that devestatingly twisted sonic attack for the first time reminded me of the first time I heard Morbid Angel. It seriously was that good. The band is fronted by the erudite Leon Macy, who plays not only all the guitars on the studio albums, but the ultra-technical drums as well - a pretty admirable achievement (in addition to being the managing director of extreme metal mag Zero Tolerence!). Far from being one of the myriad of Azagthoth-worshipping death metal clones that are all too apparent at the moment, Mithras build upon the work of their forefathers and add their own twist to proceedings. The two latest albums, "Worlds Beyond the Veil" (2003) and "Behind the Shadows Lie Madness" (2007) showcase copious amounts of technical but tasteful riffing, ethereal instrumental passages, and vocals delivered with a Glen Benton level of conviction. Imagine a Nile who don't have a fixation on Egyptian and Lovecraftian matters, and with a little more breathing space, and you're not that far off the mark.
Check out a divine example of their music - live in Edinburgh 2009 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhT6Yki9PeM&feature=related
I'm hoping to catch them and another criminally underrated British band, Taint, at Barroselas Metalfest in Portugal in late April. Needless to say I'm warming up my neck muscles already...

Terry Reid
During a conversation about Neil Young and Jethro Tull a mate recommended that I listen to a bloke called Terry Reid. Upon checking out his album "Seed Of Memory" (1973), I was instantly taken with his soulful voice and gorgeous vocal and guitar harmonies. The title track is probably the best song that I've had the pleasure of hearing this year - and it goes to show that a simple acoustic three chord song can still have a resounding powerful effect, no matter how many times you've already heard those chords. Jimmy Page was so enamoured by Reid's earlier work that he asked him to front his embryonic musical project in the mid-60's. Reid declined, but recommended some guy called Robert Plant to Page. Whatever happened there eh?

Saniteria
Since April last year I've had a deep and obsessive fixation with whatever musical endevours Dax Riggs (Acid Bath, Agents of Oblivion, Deadboy and the Elephantmen) has ever been involved in. This led me to scouring through his website (http://www.skeletalcircus.com/) and coming across a fellow Louisiana act, Saniteria. Apparently consisting of two ex-mental patients, and a few other social pariahs, the band have a beautiful southern rock feel to their tunes without being cheesy or boring. I totally recommend them and anything found on the above website, for that matter. Here's their myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/santeria777

There you go for now, hopefully the next installment will be sooner in coming...
Jack