IN ROTATION: Our most played albums in November 2018

GOTH MARK’S MUSICAL STIMULANTS

Greetings, BAZ readers. Here’s my first contribution to our ‘In Rotation’ series, something that I’ve managed to avoid until I plucked up the courage to add my input. “But why is this?”, you may ask. Well, extreme metal is my default taste but I can often go on flights of whimsy; playing loads of 1980s sounding new wave and post punk bands from days gone by, and present – that isn’t “very metal” at all. But sod it, let’s crack on with what’s tickled my eardrums for November:

RENDEZ VOUS – Superior State

This is an incredible post punk band from Paris, France – that is hugely addictive to listen to. Blending together sonic influences from The Clash, mixing it up with Sigue Sigue Sputnik, and a flavour all of their own. Shimmering guitars, underpinned by huge bass riffs you can throw Alan Partridge bass shapes to, sneered Cockney style “Oi” vocals, with crisp and precise drumming is quite simply off the scale win. Try NOT throwing all the shapes to it, pogo moshing around your coffee table. You can’t resist it.

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SIGH – Heir To Despair

Currently on album number 11, those Japanese mentalists Sigh are still producing albums that are fresh, vibrant, and have yet to run out of steam. They have produced a more stripped back album in the form of ‘Heir To Despair’, that may polarise opinions versus their earliest works. This may become one of their best albums in their collection over a period of time, that doesn’t grab you immediately – but before you know it, it ensnares the listener in its absolute weirdness.

BORN TO MURDER THE WORLD – The Infinite Mirror of Millennial Narcissism

A project band comprising of Anaal Nathrakh and Napalm Death Members that I reviewed for another website recently, combining the efforts and ideas of both bands in a super concentrated form, that is only a quarter of an hour long – but is so dizzying it feels as if the whole album is twice the duration. To quote “…akin to attempting to walk 30 miles to work on a Monday, butt naked, while it rains sandpaper and gravel combined with a 150 mph cross wind”.

FAD GADGET – Under The Flag

The late Frank Tovey has left an indelible mark on the alternative music scenes, who was one of the pioneers of experimental music; using samples of objects that aren’t by rights instruments (‘Collapsing New People’ for example, uses a looped sample of a printing press whilst ‘Ricky’s Hand’ uses an electric drill – a song about the perils of drink driving). Indirectly or otherwise, he influenced post punk and industrial bands with his playful experimentation and wacky stage antics (look up a live performance of ‘Lady Shave’ as proof). ‘Under The Flag’ got distinctly more musical, notably with the goth nightclub dance floor classic ‘Love Parasite’ – one of my earworms whilst partying with friends at Whitby Goth Weekend.

DRAB MAJESTY – The Demonstration

A strange post punk/new wave sounding project, started off by the ex-drummer from some indie band called Marriages. Deb Demure, or rather Andrew Clinco as he’s normally known – formed a delightfully engaging band that harnesses a load of 1980s influences like a grab bag of Cocteau Twins, Depeche Mode, and an oddly Tears For Fears sound if it was darkened down somewhat. However, as usual with certain bands -don’t let the weirdness of their on stage personas overshadow the music too much. Floaty, weird and yet curiously familiar brilliance.