#but the drums and bass are fast paced and even jazzy

[beevean]

Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance

Luminous Caverns

[themysteriousauthor18]

PT. 1

1985 Louisiana New Orleans. The French Quarter.

“Good morning, New Orleans! My name is Alastor, and I’ll be your brand new host for this morning broadcast! We’ll be taking some calls later, but for now I’d like to play you one of my favorite songs. Please enjoy!”

An upbeat jazzy tune begins to play. A little outdated for the time period but hey, radio itself was pretty outdated.

The man crouching by the radio hums along to the tune. “Interesting.. He managed to do it.” He’d been hearing about Alastor a lot recently; an up-and-coming star in the radio industry. Only the age of 19, and he had already become a fan favorite.

            That singular thought in the man’s mind swept away as he closed his eyes, listening to the music. 

This man is Lucifer Morningstar. 

He is a young 18-year-old, and the heir to his family's fortune. Everything about his appearance screams privileged. He has short blonde hair that’s always gelled back, his white skin hadn’t a blemish on it; smooth as a newborn's skin. His amber eyes are soft, relaxed. His body’s dressed to the nines in a collection of gold and white. Although right now, in place of the full suit he’s shedded his overcoat to reveal the pink striped vest. Which is laying open. 

The music picks up a bit more. It had started off with upbeat piano, and now a blend of trumpets and saxophones were carrying the melody. An undertone of trombones added the bass, and soft drums kept the beat. A hint of clarinets top it off with the high notes. This goes on for a bit before a smooth yet fast-paced violin solo picks up the melody. Overall, it's a really fun song, considering it's from a time period that was over sixty years ago. Everyone nowadays prefers rock.

 He pushes off the dresser the crimson radio is sitting on and begins to dance with himself around the large bedroom as the trumpets take over again. It's way too big - in his opinion - to even be a bedroom. I mean, who needs a room the size of a gas station? Hell, this place was like his own personal apartment. He had his bed, his bathroom, his balcony, his..

Okay, yeah…this is too much room. Like, waaaaay too much. 

But when the radio plays, the music seems to take up all the unnecessary space. He likes music, he likes swaying to it. He likes using all the extra room to needlessly dance around. It’s…fun. 

A loud bang suddenly comes from behind him and he flinches. The large wooden doors were thrown open so hard they hit the wall. Lucifer turns to find his doppelganger staring him down, his nose wrinkling at the upbeat jazzy music. “Turn that off.” He scolds. “You're supposed to be practicing ballroom dancing, not…that.” He gestured to Lucifer’s random twirling around the room that he was doing.

 Michael Morningstar. Lucifer's spitting image…no literally. They’re identical twins - well, except for their eye color. They look the exact same at a first glance aside from Michael having dark eyes as opposed to Lucifer's bright blue eyes. Everything else, however, is the same. Their jawlines, their facial structures, their body types…Truthfully, the only way anyone could tell them apart without paying close attention - if they were to cover their eyes, of course - is their mannerisms. 

Lucifer sighs, “come on, brother. My tutor isn’t even here. How am I supposed to practice without her?” 

Michael’s posture is perfect, while Lucifer is slouched at the shoulders. His hair is gelled back too, while Lucifer’s is sticking out in random directions now. “I don’t care.” He states. “You know what you're expected to do. Now do it.”

Lucifer walks to his brother, and without warning he grabs his hands and pulls them towards him. The loud jazzy music is still playing through his room. “Come on, brother,” Lucifer says joyfully with a bright smile. “Come dance with me, let's have a bit of fun!”

Michael rips his hands away at the word fun, like Lucifer just said something foul. Lucifer watches in dismay as Michael shrinks back to the doorway. “Just turn it off. You have to meet with our father soon anyway. Clean yourself up and meet me in the dining room.” 

There isn’t another word on the matter because Michael is already closing the door. It roars with a louder slam than expected as it closes and Lucifer stands there, defeated. From the radio, the jazzy song starts to slow; yet to Lucifer, it's far away now. He’d been cruelly ripped from whatever fantasy he was just in. Dejected, Lucifer walks over to the radio and quickly turns the knob, silencing the radio and thus the room. 

Michael is the brother the family wishes was their heir. He’s everything they could possibly want. Perfect posture, perfect actions, perfect teeth, perfect manners. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect everything. 

Then there was him.

Lucifer. 

The odd child to the Morningstars. The one that acts as a normal teen, all things considered. The one that likes to have fun, play pranks, sneak out with friends and go partying. While Michael preferred to attend the business meetings, Lucifer wanted to go out and party. Where Michael preferred classical music, Lucifer liked loud energetic jazz and some rock. Where Michael wanted to eat a high-class lobster dinner prepared by the finest chefs, Lucifer would gladly take a greasy burger from a diner, or hell, some macaroni and cheese with chicken strips.

The point here is that while they look practically the same, they couldn’t be more different. If Lucifer was being honest, he does wish Michael was the heir, and he knows Michael wants to be the heir, too. If they had the same eye color, he would gladly agree to switch places - hell, even identities with him - if it means he doesn't have to be forced to do all this boring stuff. That he doesn't have to put up a front, to pretend to be something he isn't. Deep down, Lucifer knows his father would probably have switched them too, given the choice. If not for their one - very clearly different - physical trait.

Maybe Lucifer could have gotten eye surgery or something when they were younger to change their eye colors. If that was even possible? Or maybe he could've worn color-changing contacts while out in public? That would've been much easier. 

           But now, he’s sure it was too late to try anything. They’re older, and the difference in their mannerisms are too noticeable to the public. The public even knew Lucifer as the oddball to the Morningstars. The one who's more kind to the lower class, more goofy. Whereas Michael was the colder of the two - all business, all work, and absolutely no play.

In all honesty, the only reason Lucifer was the heir was because of their birth. They were twins, but Lucifer had been the first out of his mother’s womb. They were the only children of their father, twin boys. And he was the oldest - if only by 5 minutes, but still the oldest. 

Lucifer sighs, deciding to stop wishing the gods above for a second chance at birth. And to take his time and let Michael go out first. Honestly, if he could go back in time to the day of his birth he’d tell his unborn self. There’s no rush. Really. Being the first born sucks! Just take your time, enjoy the scenery of uh…Anyway- don't rush kid! Really. Dont. He swore Michael was practically pushing him to get out first anyway. He should have let him, if he was even conscious enough for that. Probably not he barely had a brain at birth. 

Lucifer groans loudly and shakes his head.

Okay no more stalling. He has to get cleaned up and meet his father in the dining hall. He knows there’s no way to get out of this position he’s literally born into. So he sucks it up and tries to make himself more presentable. Putting his white overcoat back on. 

…The halls of Lucifers ‘home’ are large. Towering above him. He’s always felt so small here. It doesn’t take him long to descend the spiraling stairs to the first floor of the mansion. And walk the Victorian styled halls. Their mansion and family came from old money. The mansion being around for far longer than Lucifer and his generation. So the interior design was never designed for the time period they were in. Not compared to friends of his who had their own mansions. Ones that were far more bright and colorful. Compared to his own that always held a dark and dready feeling to it.

Lucifer side eyes a particular painting hanging on the wall as he makes his way into the main hall that leads to their front door. He stops walking, examining it. 

Its a portrait of his father in black and white. There hallway is lined with portraits of each of the house masters. Or as he likes to put it…whoever is currently in charge of their fortune. And right now, that was his father. 

He stares down the portrait. 

His father is sitting in a large armchair, his face is a stern look. He’s frowning and staring straight ahead at the camera. His blonde hair is gelled back with wing tips at the earlobe. Lucifer is disturbed by how much he looks like his father, the only different is the that his father looks older. He has wrinkles under his eyes and frown lines around his mouth. But the portrait was painted when his father was only twenty. When he took over the house. 

Lucifer doesn’t deny the truth.  That the portrait is his future. That the man sitting in that chair will be him very soon. He’s eighteen and he knows whatever freedom he has, it's quickly drying up. He frowns, debating for a moment weather or not he could find some happiness in such a future. If he could truly be that kind of person. If he even had it in him. 

He shakes his head, freeing the thoughts of his mind. He briskly turns on his heel and walks down the hall to the dining room at a brisk pace. When Lucifer gets to the door he desperately pushes down the rising energy trying to push its way through his body. Urging his legs to turn and run. He doesn’t. He’s learn not to.

Pushing the door open welcomes that same loud and foreboding creak it always does with these old doors. Lucifer’s eyes immediately find the three bodies sitting at the table as he entered the large dining room. The fireplace is lit - even though its much to warm for it - and its warm glow is flickering off of the man at the head of the table. Dark shadows dances across his wrinkled and sunken face. His dark eyes hold no warmth and they find Lucifer immediately. Already looking at him with annoyance. A lecture on his tongue.

“You're late.” 

He was only a minute late. 

“I’m sorry father.” Lucifer apologies anyway. 

He and his brother are practically the spitting image of their father. Their faces just softer than their old mans. And were they have that bright blonde their fathers hair has already fully grayed. Something not uncommon for the head of their family. Its due to stress, Lucifer believes. For his father isn’t old enough to have full gray hair. But its something he doesn’t need nor have the time to ponder on. 

His father demands him to sit without saying it. Lucifer is already in his chair. When he’s had a moment to catch his breath he finally looks at the other two in the room. 

One is an older white man with dark short hair thats a comb-over. He has a small mustache and he’s a little on the heavier side. Beside him his a young woman appearing to be around his age. Or at least that’s his guess. She shares the same colored hair to her - presumably father? - her face is soft. Round. Her hair is long and delicately styled into a french braid. Her eyes are green but they aren’t particularly bright. She’s wearing a white dress, and sitting with perfect posture. 

His father doesn’t wait a second. “Lucifer this is Mr. Caleb. And his daughter, Eve,” He gestures to them. 

Eve holds her hand out expectantly. “It’s lovely to meet you.” 

Lucifer - trained like a dog - rises out of his seat long enough to take Eve’s hand and press a polite kiss to her knuckles. 

“The pleasure is all mine madam.” He returns, trying not to cringe as the insensirity between them. “And you as well sir.” He says, reaching out for a handshake from Mr. Caleb who returns it quickly. His hand is weak compared to the older mans. But it seems to suffice. He sits back down promptly. 

With pleasantries out of the way Lucifer’s father continues. “Lucifer, you are not engaged to Eve.” He says it so matter of factly that Lucifer barely registers it. His father doesn’t wait, simply going on. “You two will have a proper wedding in two months from now. You will begin making public appearances next week together.” He pauses, gestures to Eve and adds “she will grace you with her company from now until the wedding. That is understood I presume.”

Lucifer hopes the panic doesn’t show on his face. “Yes father.” 

That's the end of their discussion. Nothing more and nothing less. That’s the way of things in the morningstar manor. 

… 

…The next few weeks go by as you would expect. Lucifer is essentially ordered to spend time with Eve. He doesn’t mind it all that much. Eve isn’t annoying or rude. He’s just…not sure how to act around her. Their first meeting (alone) went about as well as he could hope.

They’re meeting in his family's garden now. A large lush area (and probably the once place he liked on the property). It was the one thing on their property that had color to it. In his opinion. It was a large space with a gate around it. The perimeter is filled with rose bushes. The interior is paved with trees, a fountain and smaller bushes. There’s a brick path leading around the garden and at the center is a gazebo. Where Eve waited. 

When Lucifer steps into the gazebo she looks at him. She’s wearing white again, so is he. It seems they are always matching. He’s not sure if that's on purpose or an accident. “Hello, Lucifer.” She says and he feels…weird, at how robotic she sounds. 

He walks over and takes her hand, giving her that same greeting he had when they first met. “Hello Eve. Lovely to see you again.” He looks up at her, hand loosely in his. She stares at him and he stares back, trying to examine her face. She looks flat. Her expression that is. Like a blank slate. 

He takes his hand away and takes a step back. Feeling weird about being so close to her. But when he looks at the greenier around them she continues to stare at him. Keeping her hands on her lap. Lucifer’s outfit is a little lighter today. He’s just wearing a white vest and short-sleeved button up. He needed his skin to breathe a little. But now he feels a little too exposed. 

To say things were awkward between them was an understatement. For Lucifer at least. “Sooo…what do you like to do?” Lucifer isn’t sure when he started tapping his foot. But he is. 

“Whatever my father permits me to do, I enjoy.” Was what Eve chose to say. 

Lucifer frowns, rubs his nape. Its sweaty. “Do you like to wear the white a lot?” 

“My father says it's elegant. So I do.” 

Lucifer begins to walk around the interior of the gazebo. Tapping his fingers on the railings. Eve never seems to move much, just observing him. He pauses, looks at her then gets an idea. “Hey!” She does the most expressive thing so far, raising her brow. 

“Yes?”

Lucifer walks a little closer. “Do you wanna go get some food or something? I know this great pizza place! It’s kinda down near the slums…Buuut their pizza is really great. And if he throw on some disguises nobody will-”

“I’m not interested in such activities.” She says pointedly. But politely. It doesn’t have the same bite as his fathers words do when he refuses something. But it does have that same implied message. We are rich. We don’t associate with the lower class. 

“Oh…okay.” Lucifer deflated a little. He pauses, “then what do you wanna talk about?” 

Eve ponders the question, then says “Only what’s necessary.” 

All of their interactions after that were the same. Lucifer doesn't enjoy the feeling he gets when around Eve. She wasn’t a bad person herself. But he noticed whenever they were together, compared to her, he felt like…well like a child. He offered to go out and do fun things. Pizza, parties, dancing - the fun kind, not the boring ballroom dancing with poise and proper etiquette. But every time he suggested anything of that sort she would always promptly - yet politely - turn him down. Saying it wasn’t something they should be doing. Because they were high class people and they shouldn’t do such things as having fun…Okay maybe she didn’t say exactly that but he knew she meant it.

So while he tried to enjoy the time spent with Eve, he didn’t. He tried to watch her, examine her. Figure out what she was thinking. But she was impossible to read. So one day he simply asked, “do you even wanna marry me?” 

Eve’s always calm face falters for once, and she frowns. Something in her eyes becomes a little more distant. Her reaction throws him off a little and makes him think, maybe she isn’t a robot. 

“It's what my father wants.” Is what she tells him.

When she said that, he had added “do you even like me? Or like being around me?” 

She looks at him then, and thinks about his question..for once. “You're pleasant company to be around,” is the simple answer she gives. He takes that as her not liking him in a romantic way, but at least considering him a friend. At least that's what he sees it as. 

He isn’t offended, he is relieved honestly. Because truth be told, he didn’t like her either. Not romantically at least. She was fine to be around. And while it was super boring he had been around worse people. She wasn’t bad, she was just quiet and doing what she was told. He was fine being friends but he couldn’t consider there to be any chemistry between them. She was too mature, too…all business and no fun. She’d already grown up. And he was still a child. 

He felt worse because he knew deep down it didn’t matter how he felt. They had less than a month by the time he realized he could never love her. And further realized that a marriage between them would be more like a play they were forced to put on for the rest of their lives. He dreaded it honestly. It felt like he walked into a much larger cage. It was just now, he had a cellmate. 

By the time their wedding was two weeks away Lucifer had given up all hope of finding happiness in his future. He had spoken to his friends about it. And while Bee and Ozzy suggested he just marry her and do secret dating on the side he knew he couldn’t. Even if Eve agreed to it. Not for the fact of cheating, because they weren’t together. It was an act, so he knew she wouldn’t care. It was more for the sake of whatever person he chose. If he fell in love he wanted to share a life with them. One that was out in the open, not hidden away behind closed doors.  That was no way to live. And it would only add more stress to him. 

His friends understood when he told them this. They were freer than him. Don't bond too these old money rules of marrying people your parents chose for you. He envied them, he really did. 

His friends felt bad for him, and so it was for this reason they decided to whisk Lucifer away one night. Tangled style. Except in reverse. They came to his window and he threw a rope down, tying it down with something and shimming down the wall and out of his ‘palace’. And off the three of them went, him Ozzy and Bee. They took him to a night club down in the lower class area. Those were the best according to Bee. They knew how to have fun. Lucifer had gone with some kind of disguise wearing a brown wig (that Bee got him) and instead of his usual white that he was so known for. He was wearing black. He meshed well with the dark lights of the club.

So it was here he found himself, two weeks before the wedding. At a nightclub one night. Sneaking out to meet up with his friends Bee and Ozzy weren’t uncommon. But it has been more difficult recently because of the upcoming marriage. He wondered if he would ever be able to do these kinds of things after the marriage.  The club was owned by his friend Bee. And this one was located in more of the lower class area. The nightclub was noisy, crowded with people that all melted into white noise of endless conversations and chatter. 

It's dark - obviously - and multicolored lights light up the club. There’s a dance floor all lit up with a rainbow pattern bouncing around, that's where Bee and Ozzy are right now. Or last he saw them at least. As for Lucifer himself, he’s standing at a high table, leaning his elbows on it. The public in general aren’t really his thing, he’s never good at being social. He always comes off more awkward than he wants too but Bee and Ozzy always make him more relaxed. But tonight he can’t calm down no matter what he does. 

“Woo!” Lucifer jumps at the loud - although familiar - voice behind him. He peers over his shoulder and looks up, and up and up and upppp. Until he finds Ozzie behind him. He’s stretching, “damn they are killin’ it on the dance floor tonight.” Ozmodious is a bulky built black man who is very tall. His hair is braided into short dreads that came down to his earlobes, the tips were dyed blue and what looked like the beginning of a beard was starting to grow around his mouth and jaw. Although as intimidating as Ozzie looked, he was actually very laid back and the chillest man Lucifer knew. 

“Hey Lucy,” he said, swinging an arm around him. Nearly squeezing him half the deaf, he manages to lift him an inch off the ground - not on purpose - In his hug.

“Hey Ozzy-” Lucifer all but wheezes. 

Ozzy loosens his grip on the lord's shoulders. “You sure you dont wanna join me and Bee on the dance floor?” He pauses, inspecting Lucifer’s face. How it scrunches up slightly. “Or maybe go somewhere else? After All this is supposed to be your night.” Your last night of freedom. The truth goes unspoken.

Lucifer for his part offers a smile, it was in no way convincing but he tries anyway. “No, I’m okay, but thank you.” He has to raise his voice a little over the blaring music and crowd. 

Ozzy frowns, “are you sure?” He says loudly. Also talking over the music, it's a bass heavy song. 

“Yeah.” Lucifer maintains his smile. He’s used to it from all the public appearances over the course of his life. “Go have fun. I’m just gonna hang here and keep on drinkin!” He holds up his martini glass. It’s a pink fruity looking drink with an umbrella in it. Some would argue it's emasculating to drink something so pink but he doesn’t care, he can’t stand the more bitter alcohols he’s expected to drink at gatherings. Besides, he likes pink. It meshes well with his usual white wardrobe.

Ozzy shrugs,” if you say so. But if you need us you know where we at.” With that Ozzy walks off leaving Lucifer to his drink.

He keeps his smile up until Ozzy melts back into the crowd and he lets it fall. 

He turns his eyes back to his martini glass. And studies the pink liquid inside. This is his…5th? 6th? Glass? He’s lost track honestly. And while he’s not as out of it as he wants to be his senses are certainly dulled. His movements feel more sluggish. The music doesn’t feel so close anymore. He prefers it this way. Even though in the back of his mind, he knows he’s an easy target. 

Lucifer lazily traces his index along the rim of his glass, his eyes fall lidded and he frowns. There’s a part of his mind that whispers, like a temptress. That he doesn’t have to go back, he could run away tonight. Run away somewhere far were nobody knows his name. Its…an appealing thought. But only to someone half drunk and well on their way to being wasted. And he knows that while it’s an appealing thought now, it would probably come back to bite a somber him in the ass. So he ignores such an intrusive thought. 

He sighs, and pours the entire glass down his throat. It tingles and burns only a little but it's sweet. He sets it down on the table with a heavy clink. Great…his distraction is now in his stomach and well on its way to his brain. Now what? 

As if on cue, something snatches his buzzing mind away from his empty glass. Lucifer looks up hearing the loud cheers that manage to cut through the booming music. Was someone being murdered? Would they consider shanking him too? No? Too bad. 

  Thankfully nobody is being killed, rather it's just a small crowd around a table. They’re honestly too close to him. Being just a few feet away at another table. With their shoving and bumping he fears they might shove him too. With all the commotion he can’t help but see what the fuss is about. He doesn’t have to look far. The woman dancing on top of the table isn’t exactly hard to miss, even amongst the sea of people in the club. She’s the only person doing that he notices.

Lucifer stares at her.

She’s a tall slender white woman, her body is thin and curved all to viewable for the public through her form fitting black dress. That has an open back - all the way down to her waist, and cuts off at the mid-thighs. She’s dancing to the bass of the music - her long, waist-length hair swaying with every movement. Her hips move as if they are the ones producing the music coming out of the club. Her hair is long, blonde and her lips are coated in a black lipstick. Her eyelids are colored in a dark purple coating. 

The beat bounces and she bounces with it the crowd below her cheers.

It's definitely erotic. But she also dances in such a way that feels so…freeing. So, carefree. 

Someone hands her a drink, and she swallows it effortlessly before tossing the glass back to the stranger who catches it barely. She rolls her spine along to the rhythm, throwing her head back. Her hair falls through the air like an ocean wave. 

Lucifer is transfixed on her. 

She looks over at him, and their eyes meet for the briefest of moments. Shame rises in him,having been caught staring at her and he immediately looks away. His face burns. Ah what was he doing staring at some random stranger? He’s probably creeping her out. 

Lucifer suddenly feels an arm entrap his shoulders and at first he assumes it's Ozzy. But when he looks up he yelps at the sudden face alarmingly close to him. He backs up, stumbles. It's the woman, and she’s chuckling at his reaction. 

Lucifer catches his breath, she came over to him? Why?

Now that she’s closer though, he can tell she’s taller than him. Not by much but definitely taller. He doesn’t mind it. The base of the music burst to life once again threatening to pierce his eardrums. But it's as if he can feel the hammering beat of the base in his chest, as the woman walks close to him. He’s unsure of what she wants, what she wants to do. He doesn’t even know her name. 

He just can’t help but watch her. 

She moves so freely even just walking towards him. Never letting the music not move her body. She reaches out and grabs his arm and tugs him close. Lucifer for some reason, lets her. His pulse is climbing. It's racing. 

She drags him along and he doesn’t quite know what's going on, just that she shoves him into a nearby chair. And she’s letting the music take over her again. She’s dancing above him, her hands pressed against his shoulders, keeping him pressed into the back of the chair. Once she’s; sure he’s not going to move - how can he, really? - she takes her hands back and cocks her hips in a hypnotizing motion to the thundering beat of the music. Lucifer's eyes are dragged to her hour-glass like figure. Her hands continue moving across her large thighs, up into a dainty curved waist. She tries her hands over her thighs, up over his hips. Lucifer’s eyes follow. Her hands travel inward over her breast over the neckline and they shoot up over her head. 

Lucifer breath hitches in his throat.

            She’s…

“You're beautiful.” 

The woman looks at him, amused and a bit perturbed. She laughs. It’s a glorious sound, it's light and jovial. She leans into his space, placing her hands on either side of his chair. “What was that handsome?” She speaks. God she speaks and her voice is like that of an angel. It's low and silky smooth; it's like a goddess tempting him to do sinful things.

Christ he must be drunker than he thought if just one sentence from a stranger is enough to have his tongue tied.

“I-I said you're beautiful.” He stutters out, making his voice louder. She smiles - it looks like an honest smile. 

“Thank you. You're hot.” She bluntly states. Lucifer turns into a tomato and she laughs again. “And cute. For being Lucifer Morningstar.”

His brows raise, “you know who I am?” The brief instance of his name rather than being referred to as ‘my lord’ throws him off a little. But he doesn’t mind in the slightest. 

“Of course.” She says. “And the rumors were right, you're a lot nicer in person.” 

Lucifer flashes red for a whole other reason now. “What's your name?” He calls over the rising music. 

She looks surprised at the question. “Lilith.” But she leans closer to him, their chests almost pressed together. If he had been more sober the public display of…whatever this was probably would have put him off. But right now? His mind was too focused on the goddess who was now on his lap. 

“You're really pretty Lilith.” He giggled, fuck he is drunk. 

She smirked, eyes lidded.

Without so much as a warning or hint Lilith leans forward and captures Lucifer’s lips in hers. His eyes grow wide. And there’s a part of his mind that tells him it's not a good idea. But he immediately shuts that part down. He’s going to be throwing away his life soon. So he doesn’t care right now. Eve wouldn’t care. They aren’t married yet and it's not like she even likes nor cares about him.

Still his heart races because…

Well as pathetic as it is this is the first time he’d been kissed.

But his brain doesn’t focus on that, because Lilith is a good kisser. She takes control of his lips, abusing them with a practiced pace. She truly is a siren, for she gets his lips apart and slips her tongue in like a serpent. Their tongues wrestle for a moment, and it's a losing fight against the expert that Lilith is. Her tongue tastes like alcohol and it mixes with the sweeter alcohol he had been drinking. It tastes like heaven. 

His fingers twitch and something burns in him. Aching for more.

Lilith pulls back too soon in his opinion. But she doesn’t go far, keeping their faces close. She looks at him then, their faces inches apart. Her eyes look almost gold under the club lights but he thinks they are actually green? He’s not sure. He looks at her, her face is curved, her eyes narrowed and beautiful. Her hair long and waving freely, her dress leaving little to the imagination. But it restates the fact that she is pretty. “Wanna go somewhere private?” 

Lucifer eyes shoot wide open. “Uh-” his face burns and he glances around for his friends. He knows full well what she’s asking. He’s not an idiot after all. But… “I-I dunno. Uh…” He rubs his neck. He peers back at her. She’s waiting, and she’s tilting her head ever so slightly. 

“Don’t be scared.” She cooes, trailing a finger along his chest.

Lucifer frowns and raises a brow, “are you a hooker or something?” He doesn’t mean to sound rude. It's an honest question and one his mind has worked up to after seeing the way she dances around the club. Was this her ploy to get a session out of him? Seeing him as a dollar sign?

Lilith looks offended though, just a bit. “What?” She scoffs, “no. I have more class than those bitches.” She says waving her hand about. She leans back then, hands on her hips. “I just like to have fun!” She says with a wide proud grin.

Lucifer raises his brows, “I-I’m sorry I didn’t mean to offend. I-I just thought…” he trails off.

Lilith eyes him, standing straight up, above him. Towering over him. The club lights bathe her in a blend of different colors. The white light behind illuminates her figure. “You're hot. I’m not trying to get money out of you. I just think you're hot. I wanna fuck you.” 

She says it so…so bluntly. Lucifer is so taken aback at her boldness. God nobody has ever spoken to him like that. Besides Bee and Ozzy but…not even to this extent. He should be offended..but…

“So you wanna take this somewhere else?” She says, slipping into that sultrier voice once more. She leans down to his level, so she doesn’t have to be so loud. “Wanna see what's under these clothes?” She says, dragging a hand down her dress. 

Lucifer eyes her figure…it's nice but he looks up at her. At her face. At that mischievous sparkle in her eyes. 

How could he be insulted by such a bold, confident and beautiful woman? 

“Sure..” He replied; his voice is dazed and husky. 

They go to a nearby motel and Lucifer isn’t sure if he should be alarmed or surprised that Lilith already has a room in the run down place. With his mind both buzzing from the alcohol and an erection below his belt that was begging for attention, his mind decides he doesn’t care.

…Lucifer is pushed onto the bed. 

Lilith isn’t in any way shy or timid. She’s definitely done this sort of thing before. - Which makes Lucifer feel a bit bothered, but that's a thought for sober him. - She unbuttons his shirt with practiced effort. Their pace isn’t by any means slow. It’s fast and impatient. Which for a drunken aroused Lucifer? Is perfectly fine with him. In minutes she’s unfastening his belt and pulling his pants down before Lucifer can properly enjoy any of it. There is a sliver of his mind that feels embarrassed and nervous. But it's quickly washed away when Lilith strips her dress and undergarments off without any shame. Lucifer is still marveled by her confidence. And in that moment he stares at her like she truly is a goddess kneeling above him. 

“Wow…” He mutters dreamily. 

Lilith smiles and chuckles. It seems to be a genuine laugh. “Shh.” She says, pressing a finger to his lips. “Relax.” He does. “Goodboy.”

Lucifer flushes.

There are no more words spoken between them after that.

  …Lucifer honestly taps out after fifteen minutes, - which Lilith doesn’t seem to mind for she has her ways to get him started again - but the next hour goes by with him in a haze. He doesn’t remember when he falls asleep. But he does with him and Lilith on the hotel bed naked.

When he wakes…he doesn’t remember how he got where he is. Because he’s sitting on a park bench and immediately looks down, to find himself - thankfully - dressed. But he’s dressed more casually, dressed in a way he would prefer. Just a simple button down and slacks. He looks up, seeing a little girl swinging on monkey bars. Her face is blurred for him but he can tell at the very least she’s a child. With long blonde hair. He watches her for a moment and sees her hand begin to slip, he stands ready to go and catch this girl, but someone beats him to it. 

A man who he hadn’t even noticed was there shoots up from his seat and runs to catch the girl just in time. His hair is a bright and noticeable red. But he can’t make out his facial features either. Maybe that's her dad, he assumes at least. The man holds the girl in one of his arms and they share a laugh. They pause and turn to look directly at Lucifer, he still can’t make out their faces. But he can’t deny a blooming warmth flooding his chest. He’s never felt it before but one word cuts through his mind, clear as day.

Happy. 

He suddenly wakes up, his eyes flashing open into the darkness of the room. His heart is hammering and he takes a minute to breathe in. He feels his heart slow, into steady beats. He registers Liliths soft breaths and sighs. 

That was a weird dream. He thinks. 

His attention goes back to the sleeping woman. Lilith.. How beautiful she is. Even sleeping. 

Lucifer waits for her to wake. Maybe he's smitten, or maybe it's because she took his virginity. But he feels waiting is the right thing to do. When Lilith does wake it's almost morning. And Lucifer knows he could get in trouble. But to see her surprised expression when she finds him waiting beside her with some coffee from the motel lobby. It's worth it. 

Lucifer asks to see her again. To keep seeing her. Until he's to be married again. Much to his surprise, she says yes. It's enough to make Lucifer feel light as air. With that agreement he stumbles out of the room, smelling of booze and sex. Looking like it too. But he has no time left and has to get home. 

Lucks on his side because he makes it home before his disappearance is noticed. It's.. Sad, actually. But he's to happy and hungover to care. He calls his friends when he's able to let them know he's safe. They naturally both want details which he would provide. 

Time goes on, Lucifer and Lilith do meet up again. But sparingly. What with still being ordered to spend time with Eve. But what little time he does get to spend with Lilith - undercover - is usually under the cover of night and a blessing. 

Much to Lucifers dismay his snap fantasy life comes to an end. With the day of his wedding creeping up on him like death itself, he has to bid Lilith goodbye. Unsure and unwilling to keep pursuing whatever it is they have under in secret. 

So the day of his wedding comes. With the girl he wished was Lilith. Maybe he's crazy for having that thought. He probably is. But it's a pointless thought nonetheless. He knows his place, and he’s aware that the short time he had with Lilith was nothing more than a break from his reality. So here he stands, before Eve in her white wedding gown. Her face no less changing than the day they’d met. Stoic and calm as usual. So unlike Lilith’s bright and expressive face. He can’t help but compare the two not, even though he shouldn’t. 

The wedding is what would be expected of the morningstars. Its lavish and fancy. Set in a large park well taken care of. A park the rich frequent most often, but today is reserved for this occasion. The guests are not only consisting of Lucifer and Eve’s respective family members. But the other hundred people in the crowd are friends of the morningstars. Friends of his father. Bee and Ozzy are among them. But they aren’t as excited for this wedding like Lucifer’s father is. Excitement is actually…not the right word to describe his father in this circumstance. Eager is a better way to put it. He’s at the front row, sitting beside his mother. His arms are crossed. He has that same impatient look he always has on his face. Like the world is moving too slow for him.

Impatient.

That’s the right word to describe his father.

Lucifer looks back at Eve. He offers her a small smile, unsure why. Maybe to steady his own nerves. She returns the smile but it doesn’t reach her eyes. 

“We are gathered here today…” The priest begins. His words sound like he’s speaking underwater, to Lucifer at least. As he goes on Lucifer can’t help but glance at the crowd again, he’s aware that he should be looking forward. But can’t help it with his nerves growing. He sees his twin in the front row too, beside his - eager - mother and he looks jealous. Of Eve? He doubts it. Of him finally proclaiming his position as the new head of the home? Likely. 

He catches Bee and Ozzy in the crowd, and they find his gaze. And both nod to him. It's a condolence. He knows. A sharp clearing of the throat from his father snaps Lucifer back to attention. A warning. 

“Samiel Morningstar. Do you take Eve to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward?” For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

.

Lucifer hesitates, he glances at his father. Who gives him an icy look. He lowers his brows and gives one curt nod. Lucifer swallows, he looks at Eve who as usual is stoic. “I…I do.” He says, stuttering a little. When he glances at his father again he looks annoyed, but satisfied. 

The priest turns to Eve. Repeating himself. 

Lucifer in that moment, takes those final seconds to lament on his life. This…wedding, this ceremony. It doesn’t feel like a celebration of love at all. As it should be. It feels like he is being sentenced to prison and he’s signing away his freedom that he had with those words. 

This is wrong, he thinks solemnly. A wedding should not be held to force two people together. Two people who hardly know each other muchless love each other. Because Lucifer is certain Eve does not love him nor has come to love him in the brief month they had been introduced and then pushed into this wedding. 

He looks at her.

He was naive. He was naive to what a real relationship required. Lilith opened his eyes to that at the very least. While what he and Lilith had was in no way a relationship, it felt far more real than whatever he and Eve were supposed to have. What he did with her, being intimate with her. He…he couldn’t, he couldn’t do that. Not with Eve. Not with someone who didn’t even look at him like he was wanted. Looked at him with that same empty stare his father had. Someone he felt no attraction towards. Lilith was a star that shines and shimmers so brilliantly. Eve was an empty husk of a person she could have been. He knew what was expected of him. But he’s failed to realize how heavy that burden would be until now.

Lucifer looks Eve in the eyes.

How can I ever have children with this woman? How can I ever try to love her? Someone Who looks at me with not an ounce of love or even a person in those eyes? 

A chill runs down his spine.

“I do.” He hears Eve say, and her words for the first time carry an ounce of trepidation. 

Something in him snaps. And he feels like that sliver of fear in her is what pushes him over the edge. 

“Then with the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride.” 

Lucifer's hands curl.

Don’t do it.

You’ll regret it.

He looks at Eve, her eyes hidden behind her veil. She’s defeated. She’s surrendered. 

“I can’t.” His thoughts come out of his mouth far too late for him to take it back. And his eyes blow wide as a gasp rushes over the crowd like a wave. 

Dread pools in Lucifer, it's cold and frozen over. It's icy. 

He hears his father stand from his chair. “You will.” He states. That’s all he says.

Lucifer can feel his throat tightening. He can’t…HE CAN’T GODDAMMIT!

“No!” He shouts looking at his father who looks downright appalled. He’s shocked, registering what his son said to him. 

The crowd is deadly silent. Lucifer feels his heart in his ears. “No?” He repeats like he’s never been told that word. “No?!” He repeats once more like he’s never heard it. “You do what I tell you Samiel!” 

Something boils in Lucifer, in this second he thinks of Lilith. How free she is, how confident she is. He wants to be that confident. He wants to be free. Free with her. “I refuse! I don’t love her! And she doesn't love me! I won’t marry her.” 

His father growls “I gave you an order.” 

Lucifer stares his father down, every ounce of his body is screaming to stop. To get on his knees and beg for forgiveness. But no, not this time. “I refuse.” 

His father takes a step forward, pointing an accusatory finger at Lucifer. He could see the red rising in his cheeks. “You listen to me right now Samiel or you are OUT of this family!” 

Lucifer swallows. He looks at his mother, who is staring at him with a pleading look. At his brother, who seems satisfied. Happy. At his father, the seething man looking his usually well composure at a wedding. Then at Eve.

She’s frowning, she looks…sad. She is looking at the floor. He feels for her, but he can’t free her. Only she can, But he won’t be her captor, and he can’t remain a prisoner himself any longer. He wonders, if his mother wanted him. His brother. If that was a willing choice, or one his father pressed on her. He can’t imagine she did, when he looks at them. 

Lucifer sighs, and says calmly “then I guess I’m done here.” 

Its all he says. As he walks down the aisle, alone. 

Eve is at the alter, a look of pure shock on her face. The strongest display of emotions she’s ever displayed. Lucifer wishes her best, hopes she can break free from her own shackles one day. 

His father is screaming at this point. The angriest he’s ever been with him. He’s swearing, cursing, telling him all the things he is. How broken he is how wrong he is what a failure he is. 

But Lucifer keeps walking. 

He doesn’t even get to say goodbye to his mother, or his brother. But he wishes them best, knowing that with him gone his brother will get his place. Its for the best. He never wanted it in the first place. 

He refuses to live his life as someone he’s not. He refuses to end up like Eve, to become a shell of himself. He can’t do it. He might have, if not for her. 

As he walks the city streets, he slips the ring out of his pocket. The ring meant for Eve, the ring he managed to take before leaving. He’s young, he’s only eighteen. But he’s free, free to make his choices and maybe this is a stupid choice most would argue. But for him, its the only one that feels right.

He walks into the motel, and climbs the stairs to the room he’s memorized. The one she’s been living in. He knocks, and waits. When she opens the door, she is surprised to find him there. “Hi.” She greets, “weren’t you supposed to be getting married?” She asks confused.

Lucifer is still in his white tux. 

He looks at Lilith like she’s something to be worshipped, the smile that breaks onto his face isn’t forced. Isn’t fake. Its never with her. “Wanna do something crazy?” He asks her instead, with a grin threaneing to slip his lips.

She raises her brow. 

Lucifer pulls the ring from his pocket, and he kneels before her. Lilith eyes blow wide. Lucifer simply says with hope in his eyes. “Wanna get married?” 

He’s crazy. He’s known her less than a month, He is absolutely nuts. He knows that. But he also just swore off a lifetime of fortune and his family. But they had never given off the same warmth Lilith had. A stranger. 

Lilith laughs. “Sure, why not.” 

Lucifer grins, she grins. 

They are both insane, surely they both must be insane. Right? 

It doesn’t matter…not to Lucifer. 

All that matters to him is that he’s finally gotten to make his own choice for once. And he chooses Lilith. Maybe there’s a chance at being happy for him afterall. 

[drkreviews]

Lost Souls

Here I am with the first part of this month’s themed week in “Let’s Listen to”! Today’s subject is one of the most awaited released of the Japanese summer, the latest effort of the pop artist Kenshi Yonezu, the fifth album Stray Sheep, came out today. The album’s concept comes straight from the title, a reference to the parable of the “stray sheep” told in the New Testament, used to describe the sense of confusion and disorientation brought by the current times. And now... let’s review!

-Campanella: the album opens with the first lead-track, featuring a pretty peculiar sound; soft beats accompain Kenshi’s flowing and natural vocals, in a light and upbeat pop melody; a nice opening song, with an interesting vocal interpretation. ---> 9/10

-Flamingo: one of the leads from the tenth single sees a more decise sound, where Kenshi’s vocals move swiftly in the articulated melody, well underlined by the bass; a flowing and easy song, which keeps up the positive atmosphere of the album. ---> 8.5/10

-Kanden (Electroshock): the second lead-track of the album, used as theme for the drama MIU404, is kicked off by pretty positive notes, surrounded by a pretty simple beat; the vocals are nice and pretty balanced, especially in the refrain, making it even catchier; a nice track, dyed by a jazzy vibe. ---> 8.5/10

-Placebo (ft. Yojiro Noda): this song starts with soft notes, accompained by a pretty relevant beat; Kenshi’s voice is steady, keeping up the melody along with interesting guitar notes and a pretty efficient duet with the lead-singer of Radwimps, in another catchy and easy track. ---> 8.5/10

-Paprika: the lead of the thirteenth single starts with slower and melancholic notes, disposed in a peculiar way; Kenshi’s vocals are pretty suggestive, driving an electronic and fascinating melody, made of a balance between positive and melancholic shades; a song which brings the album to a maturer side. ---> 9/10

-Uma to shika (Horse and deer): natural vocals and nice guitar notes open the lead of the twelfth single, used as theme for the drama No Side Game; the rhythm builds up slowly, leading up to a pretty pleasant melody, with not so exaggerated electronic effects, greatly helped by a deep vocal interpretation; a distinctive track. ---> 9/10

-Yasashii hito (Kind person): this song sees sweet vocals by Kenshi, accompained by warm guitar notes, leading up to a slow and melancholic ballad, where the vocal interpretation is the most remarkable highlight of the track; a track which shows Kenshi Yonezu’s emotional side at best. ---> 9/10

-Lemon: the lead song of the ninth single, theme song of the drama Unnatural, starts with Kenshi’s deep vocals, accompained by a nice melody and a flowing beat, creating an intense atmosphere; the melody improves more thanks to a rock vibe, especially in the refrain, making this track even better, without forgetting the vocal interpretation, which improves more in the second part. ---> 9.5/10

-Machigai sagashi (Look for a mistake) -Masaki Suda cover-: the song starts with twittering birds, bringing back the naturalist touch seen in Kenshi Yonezu’s music, where the vocals become sombre and mature, accompaining a crystalline fascinating melody; a song which looks back to this artist’s origins, exalted by the vocals and a good use of electronic notes. ---> 9.5/10

-Himawari (Sunflower): this song brings back the positive vibe in the album, with soft notes opening the song, whose rhythm is pretty fast and the melody is upbeat; the vocals are living, accompained by a fresh guitar, in a pleasant and catchy song, featuring a sort of exotic vibe. ---> 9/10

-Mayoeru Hitsuji (Stray sheep): the title-track starts with a pretty steady melody, featuring decise and dark-ish tones; Kenshi’s voice is intriguing, bringing out a really peculiar vocal interpretation; a good song, built by a various and fresh melody, improved by a nice piano work. ---> 9/10

-Décolleté: this song sees a retrò vibe, where the enigmatic notes mix up with a balanced beat for a quite paced melody, driven by Kenshi’s simple vocals; the song is pretty good, where the best feature is a curious mix of R'n'B and folk sound. ---> 9/10

-Teenage Riot: the second lead of the tenth single starts with interesting guitar notes and a fast beat; the vocals are pretty steady, but fitting with the unpredictable approach of the song, whose melody evolves even thanks to a balanced drum work; another great track, exalting once again Kenshi’s singing skills. ---> 9/10

-Umi no yuurei (Spirits of the sea): the lead of the eleventh single, used as theme for the movie Kaiju no kodomo, is kicked off by Kenshi’s clear vocals, accompained by a nice piano, where the rhythm is made by a slow and articulated beat, where the vocal interpretation is filled by nostalgical shades; a quite compelling track, where the melody evolves with suggestive electronic notes. ---> 9/10

-Canary: the album ends with a quite long song, staying in the nostalgical side; Kenshi’s voice is intense, accompained by clear piano notes, driving up a slow and melodious theme, making the song even more compelling than expected; the vocal interpretation reaches high peaks, especially in clearer notes, where the violin gives an extra touch to an already awesome song. ---> 9.5/10

Final Vote ---> 9/10

Kenshi Yonezu is definitely an unique artist within the Japanese pop scene and a confirmation of how in music surprises never end. In ten years of career he always brought something new and refreshing, reinventing his concept through his suggestive art and melodies touching each emotion possible. Stray Sheep represents a fundamental step forward in his path, since it extended his sound to a wider audience, even outside Japan, bringing upbeat melodies, melancholic notes, compelling and various vocals, and a touch of nostalgia and nature, reprised by Kenshi’s early style, showing how pop music is able to bring in unexpected directions and to further horizons. This album is a breath of fresh air, needed in troubled times like these, whose influence is felt even inside each track, and a good companion for everyday life, making it more pleasant and flowing, without any doubt. If you are looking for an intense pop artist, whose sound goes out of schemes, Kenshi Yonezu is your answer, especially with this fifth album. An album for who already knows Kenshi’s unique world and for who needs to get into his music, made of positivity, nostalgia and feelings.

That’s all folks! See you with the second part of this month’s themed week in “Throwback Thursday”!

Thanks for the reading!

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REVIEWS

Diorama (16.05.2012)

[doomedandstoned]

SOLAR SONS Show Their True Colors on ‘Chameleon’

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Album Art by Keir Murdoch

One of the most played songs on our new compilation 'Doomed & Stoned in Scotland' (2021) is "Jormungandr" by SOLAR SONS, and when you give it a listen you'll understand immediately why. The Dundee band, formed in 2014, has a peculiar style that blends spirited progressive metal with heavy metal bombast, virtuosic guitar solos, and the occasional stylings of regional folk music, making this a solid contender for the Scottish Rock exhibit.

However you describe them, Solar Sons are anything but predictable. Formed in 2014 by Rory Lee (bass, lead vox), Danny Lee (guitar, backing vox), and Pete Garrow (drums, backing vox), the band got serious right away and built a home studio that doubles as a rehearsal space. I bet that would be a fun place to be a fly on the wall when jamming is in session.

DIY to the core, it's not surprising to find them also producing their own records, with each album being self-released. Hell, even their music videos are a personal labor of love.

Like many of us who sat in our houses shellshocked at the beginning of The Great Lockdown, fear gave way to boredom and boredom to creativity.

Solar Sons became separated, as so many other people were during the pandemic. The extra time was put to use and the band began working on new material. Passing each other song ideas and jams, this kicked off an intense period of creating the music from the new album. One song spurring on the next, until late-April/early-May 2020, nine to ten brand new tracks had taken serious formation.

Once things eased up a bit in July, Solar Sons set to work developing the lyrical and vocal parts of the songs, having quite a bit of fun learning to play the songs as a full band.

The album is called 'Chameleon' (2021), and I didn't know until I'd given it a good, thorough listen, how appropriate that title is to the album content. A chameleon is an Old World Lizard renowned for its ability to change color.The album before us is the band's fourth and showcases the diverse command of Solar Sons has over a plethora of rock and metal styles.

Each song is a concept of its own. We gallop gallantly out of the gate with "No Idle Blade," a breathlessly-paced song which references the classic Hiroshi Inagaki film Samurai Saga (1959). It's as much a sweeping love story as it is a heroic clash of swords.

Live by the code, honour to the warriors oath Morality means less to me than duty to the sword Make savage the hand and strong of the mind Must blood be spilled in the fields tonight Many before and many ahead Those who where terrified just turned and fled Swords slashing down, we race to the end

This romping NWOBHM number is an adrenaline rush, full of thematic urgency as played out by the Solar Son's expert sword 'n skins crews who are simply electric in their heroic execution of the rhythm and riffs. Pair this on a playlist, immediately following High on Fire's "Bastard Samurai."

"Timelord" is another heavy hitter, but transports us into another world -- the realm of Doctor Who, to be precise. It continues the frenetic pace of its predecessor, with skilled drum and bass work creating a kind of vortex transporting the evil timelord 'cross the constellations to wreak havoc on the good Doctor (which in my mind will always be my first childhood connection with the word "cool," the Fourth Doctor Tom Baker).

The evil timelord he has come for us all Brought back from the past to walk among us Set forth his reckoning and spread fear among us We dare not stand alone, it is nearly upon us The hour is here, the time is now

This song races to the finish with a jazzy swirl of psychedelic picking, slowly fading away. And...scene.

As the album progresses from this point forward, the rhapsodic progression through different styles becomes all the more apparent. It's hard to believe we're even listening to the same band in the funky, "Back Again" until the Solar Sons chime in unison the chant: "Visions in my mind / The pieces fall apart."

"Molten Mountain" is a wonderful prog interlude with beautiful guitar and bass tone. I refer to it in my notes as "The Continuing Adventures of Whale & Wasp" (Alice in Chains devotees will get the reference). It's worth noting that frontman Rory Lee moonlights as bassist with King Witch, another favorite band of mine from out of Scotland.

Every well-rounded album needs contrasts. Light and dark, fast and slow, exciting and chill. Enter: "Reflections," which the band characterises as a kind of contemplative ballad.

"Captive" continues in a similar mood. As it begins, it stirs up memories of the melancholic "Soma" by The Smashing Pumpkins. Don't be lulled into a depressive sleep, though, this too has the stirring fight and might of Solar Sons written inside and out (the band calls it "the anti-ballad").

With "Revenant" the band has decided to show off what it can do as a purely instrumental outfit. Lovers of progressive rock will relish in the effortless psychedelic and math-driven passages. This is why you practice your scales and runs, guitar students. So you can one day aspire to play with the effortless style, grace, and beauty of Danny Lee. I'd love to see these guys jam with my Northwest pals Zirakzigil sometime! What a blast it would be to have the two of those bands on the same bill, maybe opening for Earthless

"Test of our Times" awakens me from my daydreaming, probably because the singing is so out of character from what we've heard up to now. The band call it a "seventies rock shuffle." It's freewheeling spirit might deceive you into thinking this is a carefree song, were not the lyrics handy.

Feeling alone as the days they slowly pass Too much time on my hands I should not complain for I know it will not last And it's easy for me A prayer to the souls who are fighting for their lives And the ones who gone And those who give care you are heroes of our time And we will not forget

Starts to surround can you feel it closing in Pressure it builds now the time is near Fork in the road with a choice unclear how Can we maintain so much doubt and fear Break in the clouds see it light it by the sun Can't go so far for this all to be undone Gathering now we breach into the night Test of our times will unite us in the fight

We're at a point in the album where the Chameleon is shifting into all kinds of far out color. Next up, "The Wolf'' returns us to the savage tone that opened the album, though this is a notch sludgier than we've encountered so far. And no wonder: it's about The Wolf of Badenoch, whom Solar Sons characterise as "a nasty bastard in Scottish history and folklore." This will likely end up a favorite of many of our listeners, with the gruff chanting of pawns. will. fall. for. Badenoch. juxtaposed with exciting guitar filigree.

"Beyond the Stars" really endeared itself to me on my second listen through the album. We're told it's about alien abduction -- "the good kind." Certainly, there's something transcendent about it. I'm reminded of similar climactic epilogues in Mastodon's 'Crack The Skye' (2009), Yob's 'Clearing The Path To Ascend' (2014) and 'They Come from the Future' (2009) by Biblical Proof of UFOs. And what a sublime ending! Breathtaking.

Fans of Mastodon, Spirit Adrift, Haunt, Age of Taurus, and Zirakzigil will dig it, for damn sure. And now, one day before the release of Chameleon by Solar Sons, Doomed & Stoned is bringing you the full album stream so you can get well acquainted. If you dig it, show the band some love.

Give ear...

Solar Sons - Chameleon (2021)

Follow The Band

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[kpoptimeout]

Top 10 Most Underrated K-pop Songs of 2020 (Artist Edition)

Many wonderful songs by K-Pop artists helped us get through the shit show of 2020.

Continuing with the K-Pop Timeout Tradition (see 2019 Ver) of listing the Top 10 Most Underrated K-Pop Songs because all the other sites are just bothered with the Top 10 that pretty much everyone will have heard of/have fan wars over, below are our top 10 picks of songs that did not rank high (and with MVs just around or below 1 million views too) but deserves your attention! 

This is the list for artists’ tracks, so the Top 10 underrated non-idol tracks. Click here for the Top 10 underrated idol tracks of 2020.

Some of the non-idol artists have escaped the list in recent years to stardom (for example DPR LIVE, CRUSH and MAD CLOWN) so hopefully, it happens again!

This is in alphabetic order NOT in the order of awesomeness because all of them are awesome. Also, all MVs are linked in the song titles because Tumblr won’t let me share that many videos in one post.

DAVII - Jamie Cullum

DAVII had already demonstrated his vocal and producing prowess in the collaborations with HEIZE and other indie artists and his continues  to show his talent and skill in “Jamie Cullum”, an ode to the titular English jazz-pop singer songwriter. The song has a beautiful and memorable jazz piano arrangement and solo section, and DAVII complements the instrumental beautifully with his smooth RnB vocals. The simple Bauhaus-inspired MV sets further accentuates the atmosphere of this beautiful musical piece.  If you are a fan of Korean RnB and also jazz, this is the song for you!

DeVita “EVITA!”

When AOMG told the internet we are going to love their new artist, we know we would but most of us did not expect THIS SOUND. Starting off with a simple 80s vintage drum loop, we are then promised something more when a jazzy saxophone solo bursts onto the scene. The instrumental is reminiscent of 80s citypop but the arrangement of the song and the background noise and ambience creates a much more cyberpunk feel to the whole affair - all this creates a song that sounds both retro and highly futuristic. This modern take on citypop is further highlighted by the stunning music video and DeVita’s edgy vocal delivery, which smoothly switches between head and chest voice in a way similar to that of Rihanna and Lexie Liu. If you are a fan of these two artists or love citypop, you should certainly check out DeVita’s “EVITA!”

Divin’ “Siren”

The MV with the least amount of views on this list (less than 3,000 views at the time of writing this), Divin’s “Siren” deserves better. This song makes great use of synthesisers and has an addictive electronic beat. Divin’s singing is also very captivating, both smooth and desperate at the same time. The moments where he dramatically breathed in Michael Jackson-style between verses worked very well with the fast-paced beats. It is sad to see such a creatively executed track that sounded like the theme song to a Netflix sci-fi adventure series go completely unnoticed. If you want to feel like you are living in the world of TRON, Divin’s “Siren” is your type of song!

GEMINI “Going”

GEMINI is definitely an artist to keep an eye on if you are a K-RnB fan. “Going” is an extremely simple song - just the use of one processed guitar loop throughout the whole song (even in parts of the bridge), with some changes in the drums here and there. The whole MV also appeared to be quite low budget, just showing GEMINI going about his day - shaving, playing basketball, skateboarding and just straight up chilling. However, the song is carried by GEMINI’s emotive voice and smooth delivery to be easily one of the most enjoyable RnB songs this year and the simple MV made it feel like we were also there hanging out with this talented and carefree youth. If you love good K-RnB, “Going” is a must-listen song from 2020!

MADDOX “Sleep”

Some of you may have heard of MADDOX for his wild interview with DIVE STUDIOS but not as many of you listen to his music because this MV does not even crack 100,000 views (at the time of writing this). “Sleep” is lofi RnB gold, showcasing MADDOX’s crisp and somewhat melancholy tone. The instrumental is a mix of electronic guitar, synths and pianos, creating the atmosphere of a high-class hotel lounge, which is fitting as MADDOX anguishly croons through the hallways of a hotel. We know the song is “Sleep” but this song is certainly way too slept on. If you love the soothing RnB tunes of Crush and Zion.T, you should check out this song!

MINSEO “No Good Girl”

MINSEO is arguably one of the most talented female vocalists of this generation, able to easy alternate between genres and styles, from romani jazz to EDM, so it is frustrating to see her still so underrated. In “No Good Girl”, MINSEO returns to her ballad roots and demonstrates her skill in showing layers of emotions through her expert singing abilities. The song itself is also beautifully arranged and could easily be a primetime K-Drama OST that plays whenever the leads interact.  If you love vocal talent pure and simple and love coffee shop music, “No Good Girl” is the song for you!

Purple Rain “The King Must Die”

When one thinks of Korean rock bands, the tendency is to think of pop rock bands under FNC or other mainstream labels. Purple Rain reminds us to keep an eye on the harder, grittier rockers of South Korea. The song begins soft and controlled and slowly builds up with the entrance of the electric guitar solo. Upon reaching the chorus, the lead singer does a 180 in his delivery, belting with emotion and range and would alternate between his soft and harder vocals throughout the song. With the sound fit for an action blockbuster, “The King Must Die” is a song for those who love a powerful rock song!

Rad Museum “Wet Umbrella / This Night”

Rad Museum made the list last year its darker and emotive song “Dancing In the Rain” ft. Jusén, and returns this time with the much softer and dreamy mashup of two tracks “Wet Umbrella / This Night”. The unpredictable song progression and the light airy vocals lead to an oddly pleasant song. You feel like you are travelling with a squad of misfits in a disoriented world when listening to this song. If you are an enthusiast of music Spotify would classify as “escape room” (e.g. Daniel Caesar, Tyler the Creator, Childish Gambino etc.), you would love this song!

VINCE “EMERGENCY” ft. Zion.T

With YG’s The Black Label managing him and being the songwriter for various K-pop hits like Sunmi’s “Gashina” and BLACKPINK’s “Pretty Savage” and working on BLACKPINK Rosé’s upcoming solo releases, it is strange YG stans are not supportive of this RnB vocal king. VINCE has a smooth honey vocals that work perfectly with any RnB track and “EMERGENCY” is further elevated by its memorable chorus and the addition of the uniquely wonderful Zion.T. Yet somehow this MV has yet to crack 1 million since it was released in February 2020 (at the time of writing this). If you are a fan of K-RnB, you would love this song!

Xydo “Betting” ft. pH-1

This song is the definition of falsetto overload but in all the right ways. Xydo’s high-tone singing is perfect for this simple song driven by a snappy bass, hi-hat and clap. pH-1’s rap verse also added the fun to this already very playful song. The camera angles and set also elevate the classy and smooth vibe of the whole song. If you are a fan of Gray’s production style, you would also love this stylish RnB song by Xydo! 

Which non-idol songs do you think were underrated this year? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and let the song sharing begin!!!

[soulpunc]

Pray For The Wicked Review

My full track by track review is under the cut, but tl;dr: it is okay. not bad, but nothing new either. This is the best vocals Brendon has ever recorded, and he really shines in all of these songs. I loved the jazz and swing influences on these songs. and the tone and pace of the album was nice. However, the album feels a bit to clean for me and none of the track really stand out as unique. 6/10. Good, but could have been great.

Aight, now to the nitty gritty! This review is based off of listening to the album twice (and some tracks a bit more), so this is really just my knee-jerk opinion. It also seems important to note that even before the album was released, I was not particularly impressed with the singles, which resulted in low expectations.

(Fuck A) Silver Lining - Already heard, but still as underwhelming as the first time. It’s NOT a BAD song, but its very lackluster for the opening to the album. And the chorus is a bit repetitive and derivative. This song would be better suited towards the middle/end where it is padded by stronger songs. (5/10)

Say Amen (Saturday Night) - So far, one of my favorite songs from the album. A strong single to lead the album with, and the lyrics here are some of the best in the whole album. Good shit. (7/10)

Hey Look Ma, I Made It - Maybe this is just me, but the lyric talking smack about record labels seems a little faux edgy. Especially considering that this album is a very safe album that doesn't take a lot of risks to try much new. This song kind of feels like a bside version of Say Amen. But I like the strut of this song, and Brendon’s vocals are fuckin rockin! (6/10)

High Hopes - Its probably now that I should mention - I really love that in this album they expanded on the idea of a modern and new jazzy swing song, taking the drums and effects of modern pop and combining it with the brass and strong vocals of classic crooners. They touched upon this on the last album, and took it to the next level here. And it is what shines in this song. The worst this song has going for it is the fact that it sounds a little to similar to Silver Lining, just making it feel like much of the same, if you get what I mean (6/10)

Roaring 20s - Okay, a lot of people are talking smack about how these songs are all about smoking weed, which is a huge part of this song. And while I see the point that it is a kind of cheap song topic that isn’t anything new, I don’t find it particularly offensive - the point of music is to capture the human experience, and drugs are a part of that. Lyrics aside, this song is one of my favorites. Again, I love the modern swing lens they take with it. Brendon’s vocals are really impressive here, and the chorus is really strong and memorable for all the right reasons (7/10)

Dancing’s Not A Crime - This song also has a great strut and drums, but like Hey Look Ma, this song also feels too much like other songs on this album so it doesn’t really stand out as unique (which is a problem I have with most of these songs tbh). Though that being said, it isn’t a bad song and is okay. Just not great. (6/10)

One Of The Drunks - I think this song captures exactly what I don’t like about this album. It is so safe and lackluster that I honestly cant remember what the pace of the song sounded like, and I literally JUST listened to it for the third time JUST NOW. It sounds like something Brendon has done multiple times in the past, and while it doesn’t stand out as bad in the context of the album itself, it does not stand alone as a song without the strength of the rest of the album carrying it (4/10)

The Overpass - LOVED the jazz in here! This song was like a breath of fresh air after the last one. The bass line is also really boppin, so I appreciated that a lot. I love fast pace, the brass, the drums, everything! It stands out from the rest of the album, and is one of the strongest songs on it (7/10)

King Of The Clouds - Aaaaaaaand back to mediocre. I loved the lyrics in this song, but other than that this song feels like yet another song that feels much the same as the others. Not bad, but too safe. (6/10)

Old Fashioned - I will be honest, after my first listen through this album I completely forgot that this song existed. I, for the life of me, couldn’t remember anything about how it sounded or what it was about or anything. And if that doesn’t speak volumes about it, I don’t know what does. Another case of a track on this album being forgettable as it sounds like a bside version of a different and better Panic! song. Again, not a BAD song to listen to, just very plain. And it is slightly better than One Of The Drunks, hence the slightly higher rating.(5/10)

Dying In LA - Aight, now for the last track. I have found that Panic! has some of the best closing album songs that really capture the tone and message the whole record conveys, so I went into this song with high hopes. And I wasn’t disappointed. The quieter lowkey tone really captures the melancholy message it addresses. It is also one of the most distinctly unique songs on the whole album, and the only one that sounds like an original song and not just another version of either a song from DOAB or an earlier track. I think ultimately it feels like this album is about the fleeting fun and fear inherent to youth as we try to find ourselves. And this songs really brings that to life, and it a perfect concluding paragraph to this album.(7/10)

All in all, I think this album could have benefited from more time being put into it. I like what this album was going for, I like the message, I like the vibe and groove. But so many of the songs feel so lackluster that it really takes me out of ti and is such a huge detractor. If the majority of the tracks were more punchy and unique as Dying in LA, Overpass, and Roaring 20s, then the album would have been much much better. It is so unfortunate that they didn’t go that final stretch and instead played it so safe.

[frostybeats]

Favorite Albums of 2018

Here we are, another year in the books. I thought I’d compile a list of some of my favorite projects that artists did this year. Mind you, this is not a list of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2018, these were some of my favorites to listen to this year. I thought this was an amazing year for rap, especially this summer, so I’ve included quite a few rap records. I was still listening to a lot of music from 2017, but this list will focus strictly on what came out this year. There is no order of favorites. Without further ado, let’s dive in.

Astroworld - Travis Scott

You can’t talk music in 2018 without mentioning Astroworld. Was the album overhyped? Absolutely. Does that mean it didn’t deliver? No way. People were acting like Travis hadn’t done anything in half a decade, when in reality it had been less than 2 years since his sophomore effort, Birds in the Trap, and he had dropped the collab, Huncho-Jack, with Quavo at the end of 2017. Still, fans and artists alike salivated at the mention of Astroworld. The man even made a Jordan 4 to contribute to the album’s hype. Astroworld delivers immediately and rewards multiple listens, I consistently find new things in this album to appreciate. Travis is back with the signature ad-libs, old and new, and an all-star feature cast that rivals that of an Avengers movie. The album feels like a rollercoaster, roaring at a fast pace with plenty of thrills, but there are also some slower tracks to even the ride out. Travis has never been about deep material though. He’s always been about having a good time, especially this time around. It’s an absolute go to when you want to get lit like a Christmas tree. The beat switch ups (see Stargazing) are akin to maniacally switching lanes on a highway. Just watch out for the groups of frat boys that start dancing in a circle and shouting when Sicko Mode comes on at a bar.

Top 3: No Bystanders, Sicko Mode, Coffee Bean

Swimming - Mac Miller

“Every day I wake up and breathe. I don’t have it all, but that’s alright with me.”

Okay, I know I said I wasn’t doing this list in order, but Swimming is near, if not at, the top of albums this year for me. GO:OD AM still remains my favorite Mac project, but Swimming is probably his best project, critically. I probably could, and may, do a track-by-track review of this album. Mac is producing at his best, it’s a listen that flows smooth from start to finish without anything really feeling out of place. The album holds true to it’s name, with tracks see-sawing back and forth between sounding like having your head above the water and being pulled deep under the waves. The J. Cole produced “Hurt Feelings” will take you to the ocean floor, while “Jet Fuel” will have you drifting across the surface. Thundercat lays down some incredible bass lines, and John Mayer even makes an appearance on “Small Worlds”. “2009” is a track that hits right in the feels, recounting the change, both good and bad, since stepping into the limelight. Swimming is a journey of self-acceptance, and being okay with life even when you don’t triumph, a tragic message given Mac’s passing just a month after the record’s release. I related to many of these songs on a personal level with my own struggles in 2018, the album came out exactly when I needed it. Rest in peace, Mac. Most dope…forever.

Top 3: Hurt Feelings, 2009, Self Care

Honorable Mention: It didn’t make the album, but go listen to “Programs”; it’s so buttery

Proper Dose - The Story So Far

This band has yet to disappoint and gets better with each album they do, I’m thankful for that since it’s a rare thing. The album moves fast with a combination of tracks that are best listened to while flying down the highway or cruising with the windows down on a nice day. Classic pop-punk vibes are present on “Need To Know” and the title track, while the band explores a new, more melodic sound on “Upside Down” and “Growing On You”. The most welcome new addition is Parker’s ability to sing, progressing from his shouting-style on previous albums; “Take Me As You Please” showcases this beautifully. Ryan Torf also deserves a lot of credit for the air tight drums on every track. The percussion is a huge standout. This album was made to be blasted in a car on a summer day.

Top 3: Out Of It, Light Year, Take Me As You Please

YSIV - Logic

I tried to keep it to one project per artist, so this beat out Bobby Tarantino II for me. Logic has dropped at least one project every year since 2010, let that sink in. Somehow, he has managed to not sound overdone or saturated, a true testament to his craft and workaholic nature. YSIV (Young Sinatra IV) revisits the 90-style boom-bap sound of his Young Sinatra mixtape trilogy that got him known. Logic sounds like he walked through a portal and it’s the early 2010s again, but his raps and 6ix’s production have both ascended to a new level. 1-800 fans will be very confused as the bar-hungry Logic of old resurfaces to show people that he’s still an animal on the mic with tracks like “Everybody Dies” and “The Return”. If you like straight bars then this is the album for you. The ENTIRE Wu Tang Clan makes an appearance on the song “Wu Tang Forever”. “Street Dreams II” is storytelling at it’s best, an ode to the style of rap that dominated the 90s. YSIV sounds like a genuine continuation of the Young Sinatra era, rather than a sequel or remake that tries too hard to be like the original. The only thing missing is an iconic Marty Randolph skit.

Top 3: The Return, Street Dreams II, Ordinary Day

A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships - The 1975

The working title “Music for Cars” sent fans into a frenzy thinking that the band was revisiting their early days. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships proved to be the opposite by pushing the boundaries of the band’s sound. Yes, there are songs like TOOTIME and the single, “Love It If We Made It” that would sound perfectly at home on the previous album, but there are also jazzy songs like “Mine” and “Sincerity Is Scary” that we’ve never heard from this eclectic, pop quartet. The album explores a wide pallet of emotions, mostly surrounding love and relationships in the present day. They even propose the not so farfetched idea that we’re in a relationship with the internet and social media on “The Man Who Married a Robot”. I’ve always gravitated toward the instrumental interludes/tracks on The 1975 projects (excluding the remixed intros), but I also really enjoyed the softer songs as well on this one. This band has always encompassed many different feelings on their projects, but it’s broadcast on a similar spectrum for a given project. It’s hard to put this band in a box, and I really like that.

Top 3: Love Theme, Surrounded By Heads And Bodies, I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)

K.O.D. - J. Cole

Anytime J. Cole has been quiet for what seems like too long you can guarantee he’s about to drop something. K.O.D. officially marks the end of the Forest Hills Drive era that was continued on 4 Your Eyez. The album is a bit of an uncomfortable, medicated listen, start to finish, but that’s the point. It hits close to home for those that have struggled with addiction personally, or witnessed friends and family grapple. Cole warns listeners of the dangers of addiction and drug abuse, especially as a staple of the modern rap scene. However, Cole shows us that addiction isn’t just substance based, but also comes in the forms of social media and ego, with deeper rooted problems that we cover with these things rather than face head on. “Photograph” calls out the ego-stroke that Instagram has turned into. Cole impressively comes off from a place of concern, rather than being preachy. The album isn’t an easy listen, but it’s a necessary one.

Top 3: Photograph, Kevin’s Heart, BRACKETS

Culture II - Migos

Migos wasted no time in following their 2017 breakthrough, Culture. Culture II essentially keeps the record spinning with a slew of new songs. A friend once said to me that most of Migos sounds the same, and there’s a lot of truth to that. But their triplet bar scheme is still catchy and a lot of these tracks are just a fun listen, whether you’re working out, cooking up a storm in the kitchen, or getting together with friends. “Supastars” and “Auto Pilot” are straight hype tracks, and the now ironic “Motorsport” slaps with the Nicki Minaj & Cardi B features. “Stir Fry” is a track that you can immediately hear Pharrell on despite his lack of vocals. Culture II is jam packed with lines that we’ve seen everyone use as Instagram captions throughout 2018, don’t count on that trend stopping anytime soon with Culture III already slated for early 2019.

Top 3: Motorsport, Movin’ Too Fast, Auto Pilot

Scorpion - Drake

There’s a lot I can say about Scorpion, I’ll try and keep it brief. The gargantuan work is a double album, split into 2 sides. Side A is more rap heavy, while Side B is moody R&B. The production on this record is phenomenal, 40 and OVO Sound killed this one. Scorpion feels like the long awaited followup to Take Care that so many people (myself included) have spent the past 7 years dreaming of. This isn’t the “beat your chest”, angry Drake of If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, or the British, grime-stint that was More Life. This is Drake at his best, simply being Drake. He’s braggadocios on “Nonstop” (with the now iconic Tay Keith production tag) and “Talk Up” (with an amazing verse by Hov). He’s moody, with in your feels songs like “Jaded” that will keep you up past 3 AM thinking about relationships that you were never in. He finds himself attempting to navigate life on “8 Out Of 10” and “March 14th”. Scorpion is well worth the long listen, with a wide array of offerings. In my opinion, this is Drake’s best project since Nothing Was the Same.

Top 3: Jaded, Nonstop, 8 Out Of 10

Honorary Mention (so many songs!): Sandra’s Rose

Man of the Woods - Justin Timberlake

I wish it didn’t always take this man half a decade to make new music, but I’m okay with quality over quantity. A homage to his son, Man of the Woods finds JT at his pop roots, but attempting to blend in some folk here and there for some robust notes. Most of the time it works out. “Say Something”, with Chris Stapleton, is a prime example. “Montana” will sound a bit more familiar to fans that know his signature pop sound. “Midnight Summer Jam” is the sweet spot between these two sounds that will have you grooving. There’s an interlude that’s reminiscent of “Blue Ocean Floor” on 20/20 (a sound I wish he’d make a whole album with). The Alicia Keys duet, “Morning Light”, feels like waking up on a sunny day after a great night’s sleep without a care in the world. Man of the Woods showcases JT’s versatility and willingness to take risks and push boundaries as a pop artist in a genre that often sounds repetitive. Most of the time it’s rewarding, and even when it’s off-step I still appreciate the effort. This album definitely grew on me after multiple listens.

Top 3: Midnight Summer Jam, Wave, Montana

Ye - Kanye West

Okay, Kanye had quite the year… let’s stick to the music. Ye was apparently recorded mere weeks before the deadline, the album cover was shot on the way to the release party. Kanye apparently scrapped the Love Everyone album (rumored to be the upcoming Yandhi) after the whole MAGA controversy, when he received “new creative energy”. Ye is a short listen, seven tracks just shy of 24 minutes (a common them on all the projects Kanye worked on this year). The album packs a lot of content in for a short listen though, mainly addressing mental health, Kanye’s struggle with bipolar disorder (aka his “superpower”), and the turbulent year he had. Production is one of the highlights on the album; it opens with a dreamy sequence as Kanye speaks some dark lines, a stark juxtaposition. “Ghost Town” is the emotional climax of the album; Kid Cudi, 070 Shake, and PartyNextDoor nail their features, while Kanye delivers some of his best lines on the album. Kanye closes out on “Violent Crimes” with a touching note reflecting on his past behavior as a man and how he now worries for his daughter as she grows up in the world today. It’s a fairly cohesive album for such a rushed project, definitely better put together than The Life of Pablo. Say what you want about Mr. West, but the man is a musical genius.

Top 3: Ghost Town, No Mistakes, Yikes

Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts

People lost it when rumors dropped last fall that Ye and Cudi were working on a joint album. The idea sounded like a home run and something that needed to happen, especially after the momentary feud between the two as Cudi struggled with his mental health at the end of 2016. Kids See Ghosts delivers tenfold, and, in my opinion, is the better effort from Kanye this year (it’s a joint album so it’s an acceptation to my 1 project per artist rule). Ye and Cudi have always brought out the best in each other creatively, they’re yin and yang. “Feel the Love” starts the listen with Cudi chanting and harsh hitting production as Kanye shouts akin to a tommy gun. It sounds like the duo are using their voices as instruments and having fun with it, a theme present across all seven songs. Kanye chops up a 1930s Christmas song to make a banger on “4th Dimension”. As the album progresses, the two tackle their personal issues and struggles, slaying their demons, and coming out rejuvenated on the other side. Cudi returns with his signature hums and hooks, transitioning between rapping his ass off and gently delivering his verses. He delivers a new anthem with “Reborn”, assuring the world that he’s okay. Kanye saved his best bars for this album, delivering some of his best verses since Dark Twisted Fantasy (yes, I said it). Kids See Ghosts is trip that is a far more cohesive listen than Ye (not to take away from Kanye’s solo effort), and is a project that we sorely needed this year. It shows that Cudi is in a better place than in 2016 and the duo can still do what they do best: make good music. While “all killer, no filler”, it’s is a bit of a bummer that the album is only seven songs long, but the fact that they both want to do another certainly makes up for it.

Top 3: Reborn, 4th Dimension, Feel the Love

Testing - A$AP Rocky

We last heard from A$AP Rocky in 2015. Flacko makes his return in 2018 with Testing, an experimental venture. As soon as the staticky bass drops on “Distorted Records” you know that this project is going to be different. True to it’s name, testing offers a variety of sounds with no clear identity. The record feels like a stepping stone as to where Rocky is going, rather than where he is at right now. “Hun43rd” will take longtime A$AP fans back to the early 2010s, while “Buck Shots” will make you curious to see where Rocky goes in the future. Harder beats are contrasted with tracks that focus on gentle guitar strumming, like “Changes” and “Purity”. A lot of rappers tend to play it safe and not experiment much with their sound while focusing on their bars and going with whatever beat is considered “fire” at that moment. It’s rare to see someone, especially a big name like A$AP, really try a variety of sounds and put out an abstract project. It may not be what we expected after At.Long.Last.A$AP, but I give serious props to Rocky for trying something different and look forward to his next project, even if it’s another wait.

Top 3: Hun43rd, Buck Shots, Changes

Little Dark Age - MGMT

This one quietly flew under the radar. MGMT made their return with their first release in half a decade. While apparently inspired by the 2016 election, the album carries little political discourse. Without changing their sound too much, the duo delivers a throwback to the 80s. This album is an absolute bop, plain and simple. Despite sounding like it came from a time capsule, the album addresses a variety of topics relevant to society today. “Time Spent Looking at My Phone” warns of how engrossed we have become with social media and our smartphones and are oblivious to the world around us. “Me and Michael” sounds like a Hall & Oates tribute. Overall the album is a fun listen start to finish, the band’s core sound and the 80s make for an awesome crossover. It’s just really nice to have MGMT back.

Top 3: Me and Michael, James, One Thing Left to Try

Championships - Meek Mill

2018 has been a huge year for Meek. He got released from prison and became an advocate for judicial reform (if you aren’t familiar with the situation I implore you to read up on it because the media seriously misrepresented the facts to make him look like the bad guy and it goes to show the issues in our criminal justice system and the improvements that need to be made), the blockbuster beef with Drake was squashed onstage by performing Dreams and Nightmares (one of the greatest intros of all time), and he capped it off with an album. Championships is a victory lap, celebrating his comeback from a rough stretch involving some major losses. Funky vibes are present all over the album, which is uncharacteristic, but welcome for the usually hard hitting MC. Meek still raps about money, women, and his gritty past over beats that will blow out your speakers if you’re not careful, but also reflects on bigger topics like social injustice on “What’s Free” and “Trauma”. Amends are made with Drake on “Going Bad”. Meek once again proves that he’s undefeated when it comes to intros with a Phil Collins sample. Championships is the celebration of a man that took his lumps and came back, pop some bottles and join in on the party.

Top 3: What’s Free?, Dangerous, Pay You Back

Tha Carter V - Lil Wayne

Word of The Carter V surfaced before I started college… I finished grad school this past year. The album spent the better part of the decade tied up amid legal battles and feuding with Wayne’s old mentor, Birdman, and Cash Money Records. Wayne spent the time releasing various projects to try and satisfy the demand. Carter V seemed to be this decade’s Detox, an album we would always hear about but never actually get. Thank goodness that was not the case. The album clocks in just shy of 90 minutes, a hefty listen. But remember, the album was once slated for a 2013 release and contains material recorded as far back as 2012. Personally, I’m glad Wayne decided to include as much material as he did, this was a long time coming. It’s easily his best project in quite some time and reminds people of why Wayne dominated last decade. There’s something to offer Wayne fans of all eras, Mixtape Weezy, early Carter, and experimental Wayne are all present on this record. Hype tracks like “Uproar” are contrasted with duets like “Dark Side of the Moon”. Wayne lights up verses on “Let It Fly” and “Mona Lisa” (which also contains an impressive appearance from Kendrick). The record is a fun listen start to finish, welcome back, Weezy.

Top 3: Dope New Gospel, What About Me, Let It Fly

Daytona - Pusha T

Daytona had expectations. We last heard from Push in 2015 and this was the first of the wave of albums from G.O.O.D. Music this summer, not to mention one of the ones that was recorded during Kanye’s sojourn in Wyoming and also featured the photo of the late Whitney Houston’s bathroom as the controversial album cover. Daytona sounds like a modern take on the 90s boom-bap sound. Kanye West reminds everyone that he is a producer turned rapper, with top-tier production as executive producer and makes an appearance on “What Would Meek Do?”. Push then gobbles up these sensational beats akin to someone that waited all day to eat Thanksgiving dinner. The new G.O.O.D. CEO hits hard with the verses on every track and pulls no punches. “Infrared” brought his longtime beef with Drake from a simmer to a full boil and laid the ground for one of the most elaborate, methodical spillings of tea that music saw in some time. Originally intended to be King Push, Kanye and Push apparently decided to scrap 2 full albums before creating what would become Daytona, the wait and process was well worth it. The production is some of 2018’s best and the verses back it up. The drug dealer turned executive talks the talk and walks the walk. Yes it’s very early, but I’ll say it: this album will go down as a classic and be remembered as one of the better rap albums of the late 2010s.

Top 3: The Games We Play, Hard Piano, If You Know You Know

And finally, it’s been over 2 years, but go listen to Frank Ocean’s Blonde again. That album has aged like a fine wine.

[main-shit]

You'll Catch Flies. ~ Daveed Diggs

Okay, so I want to say this before I start the story. If you request multiple prompts for one story I have trouble with adding more than two ideas to one story. I wanted to say that because someone requested that I use more that one prompt for a story and I'm having trouble writing it. That's why I'm writing this, to get my mind off of writing the other one. Anyways, on with the story! ~Onto the story!~ I put my earbuds in and open spotify. I select CLPPNG and push the shuffle play button. I hear dotted notes and automatically recognize it as Tonight. I start to head out the door to the Richard Rogers theater. Turnt than a motherfucker Bought that ho a shot 'cause you wanna cuff her All these other motherfuckers think they stuntin' But they spot is 'bout to close and they ain't pullin' nothin' I bob my head to the beat of the song as I walk along the ice covered streets. I look up to make sure of where I am then look back down at my phone and continue to read fanfiction. I read a part of the fanfiction that makes me blush profusely(It was probably a lemon) and I look around to make sure that no one is staring at me crazily. Walls smell like pussy when it sweat Snort it to the face, but the club wet Trying to get a taste, baby wanna flex Sick of pushin' weight in an alley with a mind full of sex She walk to the floor, leave the bar stool soakin' Drop it down low, make it wade like the ocean And every man up in here wanna see her bust it open But you ain't gonna get it if you so soft-spoken I come up to the theater and I walk in. I pass by a lot of my friends on my way to my dressing room, they see me with earbuds in and assume that I don't want to be talked to. Or, most of them do. Until I pass by Lin. He pulls an earbud out of my ear and puts it in his. He hears Daveed's voice and smiles at me then takes my phone pausing the song. "What are you listening to (Y/n)?" he asks me. I look at him and shake my head. "I was listening to Clipping, until you paused it. Now I'm listening to you speak." I answer him and put my earbud back in my ear. Flashing lights, molly dreams Face down low, DJ screaming "Last call" That liquor dark, that dick gone hard With visions of her legs up in the air over your face under her ass And breaking lamps from beating pussy purple 'cause she like it fast I unpause the music and continue to walk to my dressing room. which unfortunately  has to be as far away from the entrance as possible. Lin continues to follow me and I continue to listen to my music until Daveed walks by and asks me what I'm listening to. "Oh she's just listening to you rapping, I believe it's  the song Tonight..." Lin answers for me and Daveed's face turns pink. "Um...(Y/n)?" Daveed says my name and I pause the song to look at him. I turn and see that his face is bright pink. "What's up Diggs?" I ask, I never thought that I would have the chance to be friends with an idol of mine. "So, you like my music?" he asks and I roll my eyes at him. I stop walking and Lin runs into me. "Yeah, I've loved your music since I was a teenager!" I reply quickly, showing the age gap between us. He rubbed the back of his neck, then I looked at the time on my phone and groaned. We have and hour until showtime, I need to get ready! "I gotta get ready for tonight guys I'll talk to you in a bit." I say and finish the walk to my dressing room. I unplug my earbuds and unpause the music again, turning it up. Wha-wha-wha-what's your fantasy? Ass like Trina, face like Beyonce And tell your story, try to whip her fine ass free 'Cause she's probably used to ballers and ballin' you may not be But shit, this spot's about to close and you still ain't pulled you a freak? I hear multiple people walk by my dressing room, some knock and ask if I'm 'presentable' and  want to talk. Others just walk by without a word, 'They're probably getting ready as well' I think as I finish up putting my first costume on. It's the last song of the night Don't forget to tip the bartender You got fucked up, that's alright That's not the only thing you came to do 'Cause there's bad ones all around And you ain't pulled your one yet If you ain't locked it down by now Then it's time to figure out who fuckin' tonight, who fucking tonight Who fuckin' tonight, who fuckin' tonight I get Jazzy to help me with my make-up. I've never been very good at applying make-up on myself. Once she finishes with my face I do my hair, which doesn't require much talent to do. I walk to Daveed's dressing room and hear Lin and him talking. "When are you going to tell her the truth?" Lin asks Daveed and I hear a new voice. "Yeah, you gotta tell her at some point, man." The voice says and I realize it's Anthony. "I don't know guys, what she doesn't take it well?" Daveed says to Anthony and Lin, I hear loud footsteps and I assume that one of them is pacing. Most likely Daveed. I want to butt in but I turn and see Pippa walking my way, "Hey girly," she starts but I put my finger up to my lips and put my ear back on the door. "What are you doing (Y/n)?" she whispered and put her ear to the door as well. "She needs to know Daveed, you can't just keep this big of a thing from her!" Lin yells at Daveed and he gets close to the door. "How do I tell her?" I hear Daveed say more to himself rather than Ant or Lin. "We need to m-" Pippa starts to say something as the door opens and I fall into Daveed's dressing room. "-ove." she ends what she started to say and I look up at her. "Ya think so?" I say laughing at myself and taking the hand that was held out for me. I hear some music playing and I look up to see Daveed pulling me up and Lin playing Tonight from his phone. I'm drunker than I ever been, higher than I ever been Don't you want to take me to the bar to get a shot again? Don't you want to take me home? Don't you want to see me roam? Music beatin', twerkin' to the sound, I'm all up in my zone Lookin' for a victim, caught him slippin', I just want some sex Nothing else to do when I leave the club so that's the best thing next Here, just take my number, when you leave be sure to send a text I'll be at the Waffle House waitin', baby fuck the rest If you at the club and you feel trashed and it about to close Make sure you have a freak that knows how to bend and touch her toes Make sure that that boy know, he gotta play when he weighin' that soul He get to see me do dances and shit, doin' a split and I'm killin' this shit I realize that it's not playing from Lin's phone but from mine. Lin had come into my dressing room and started playing with my phone earlier and he must've switched them either by accident or on purpose. I'm guessing that it was on purpose. I glare at Lin as the chorus comes on and I sing along with it calming my glare. It's the last song of the night Don't forget to tip the bartender You got fucked up, that's alright That's not the only thing you came to do 'Cause there's bad ones all around And you ain't pulled your one yet If you ain't locked it down by now Then it's time to figure out who fuckin' tonight, who fucking tonight Who fuckin' tonight, who fuckin' tonight I start dancing around Daveed's dressing room and I grab Anthony by his hand. I push him and Lin out of the room and close the door to Daveed's dressing room. I lock them out and tell Pippa to make sure they don't run off. "Sure thing girly!" she says and she calls Jazzy and Renee in to help her watch them. "So, Daveed what is this 'big' thing that you're keeping from me?" I smile but I make sure to smile in a way that makes him uncomfortable. "Um...Now is not the right time to tell you..." he says stalling. I grab my phone and check the time. Twenty-five minuets until showtime. "We have time Diggs." I say walking over to him slowly. Yeah, it's Clipping bitch Tab on the bank card, molly on the gums Last shot dark, brain, 808 bass drums Laser in the eyeball, callous on the feet Cab to the someplace, head in the back seat Stumble up a staircase, floor missing boards Hands fumbling through denim, keys, keys open doors Tumble to the futon, teeth into soft skin Fists full of weave, rip, lick, suck, coughin' Acrylic on the spine, hand prints on the hips Rug burn on the knees, salt on the lips Beat it up, spread it out Bust it open, take it down Eyes rolling, bones shaking Lungs weak, breathing in somebody else's breath Shit, hold up, what's your name, what's up with that breakfast? I take Daveed's hand trying to hold back my own blush and look at him with puppy-dog eyes. No one has ever said no to them before, well, except my parents. "F-fine..." he says and looks away with a bright pink blush on his cheeks. "Ireallylikeyou(y/n)andIreallywantyoutobemygirlfriend!" he says quickly and I look at him confused. he sighs and says the before sentence more slowly. "I really like you (y/n) and I really want you to be my girlfriend." "Daveed.." I say and look up at him. It's the last song of the night Don't forget to tip the bartender You got fucked up, that's alright That's not the only thing you came to do Cause there's bad ones all around And you ain't pulled your one yet If you ain't locked it down by now Then it's time to figure out who fuckin' tonight, who fucking tonight Who fuckin' tonight, who fuckin' tonight "I totally understand if you don't feel the same way, I didn't even ask you if you were single before a-" he starts to rabble and I laugh(or Laf(I know I'm not funny)). "What's so funny?" he asks and I just simply answer with, "Yes." "Yes what?" he asks and I mentally facepalm. "Yes, I'm single. Yes, I feel the same way. And yes, I'll be your girlfriend." I say and laugh at his face. He had his mouth open wide. I push his jaw closed and as I walk out of his dressing room I say, "Keep your mouth closed or you'll catch flies."

[beevean]

Hey Beev, what music style do you think better represents Classic Sonic's character as a whole? (This is for the final section of that old Forces' Classic Sonic music post I was working on months ago, and I'd like to add even more of your input, haha.)

Oh wow! Interesting question, and thank you for asking me :D

The music in the Classic era was just as diverse as it is now and it’s hard to pick a singular style. Not counting the minor games, as interesting to analyze they’d be, we have:

Sonic 1: a very mellow OST, somewhat jazzy (most obvious with Spring Yard), and more “cinematographic”, at least in the intention of Masato Nakamura - most famously, Scrap Brain sounds like a fast version of the credits of the Blade movie, the timpani being the more obvious similarity. Sadlly, with the exception of Green Hill, this OST tends to be overshadowed by what will come next.

Sonic 2: it’s the same composer, but this OST is much more lively, with a better soundfont, longer tunes and absolutely wicked basslines - just compare Green Hill to Emerald Hill, or the two Special Stages themes. There are also many more genres now: salsa, jazz, country, arabic, orchestral, nightmare...

Sonic CD JP: now this is a doozy. Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata took inspiration from the club genre of the era to create a more “modern” soundtrack, one that would appeal the American public (ha) - fast-paced, full of unintelligible samples (preceding Hideki Naganura’s work by at least a decade), straight up dipping into the New Jazz Swing genre, it sounds nothing like the first 2 games or everything else from this era, but it’s so fondly remembered that Mania’s OST is clearly inspired by this one.

Sonic CD US: this is, much like the actual game, Sonic 1 on steroids. It’s a very atmospheric OST, with less catchy tunes than the original counterpart, but more “ambient”, with wailing guitars, female choirs and peculiar drums - the two Collision Chaos themes are my favorite example to show the polar opposite approaches of the two OSTs. Also, it’s the first Sonic soundtrack that used real instruments, making it a precursor to Adventure’s.

Sonic 3 & Knuckles: it’s hard to peg a single style for this OST, as it goes in all kinds of directions, and of course it’s longer than 1′s and 2′s put together. I would say that the two halves have different styles: Sonic 3 is very much the lovechild of Michael Jackson and Brad Buxter(with a little help of some guy named Jun Senoue), and it shows; Sonic & Knuckles takes inspiration from Sonic 2, but generally less jazzy and more intense - some tracks really sound like they’re begging to be played by a real guitar.

Sonic 3D Blast: we’re starting to approach the end of the ‘90s, and therefore the end of the Genesis era. Why are we even considering this game? Because this OST is basically the fondation for Sonic Adventure’s brilliant soundtrack, as the sheer amount of reused tracks prove. Jun Senoue and Tatsuyuki Maeda pushed the limits of the console to make a truly memorable OST for such a forgettable game. While there aren’t many obvious genres, overall it does sound like a nice mix of Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 & Knuckles (helped by some of the best sounds the Genesis could produce): Senoue brings back the energy of the former, Maeda the intensity of the latter.

And I’m not even considering Richard Jacques’ work, which was the living incarnation of the late ‘90s!

So... which is the style that fits Classic Sonic better? 

The big love letter to the Classic series that is Mania used CD as an inspiration, and while Mania’s OST is excellent and one of my favorites... I don’t automatically associate New Jazz Swing with Classic Sonic. Before Mania, it was only in one game, the odd one in the bunch too.

3D Blast is my favorite Genesis soundtrack, and as I said it combines the best of two worlds (plus it’s just full of bangers), but it influenced the next era more than the Classic one. The same could be said for the American OST of CD - and besides, tracks like this are nothing like Sonic anyway.

Sonic 1 is the first one and all, but that mellow style fits that particular game more than Classic as a whole, I think the closest OST to this style was Advance 1, actually - another slow-paced, simple game.

So the choice is narrowed down to the ultra-popular Sonic 2 and the refined Sonic 3 & Knuckles. And I’ll be honest, while I think S3&K has higher “highs” compared to S2... my brain immediately jumps to the latter. When I think of Classic Sonic, I think of Genesis brass (the real deal, not that fake synth they used in Forces), twang basses, a swingy rhythm (too many to choose lol), and tons of energy.

Only one Classic track in Forces came close to this description. The others sound more like either a pale imitation of Sonic 1 or modern tracks with a bad soundfont, and that’s when they’re not a complete insult (no i won’t link to it you know what i’m talking about :V).

I can’t wait to read your analysis, and I hope I’ve been of help ^^

[sleepfacingwest]

Burglar's Inc. Score

Burglars Inc. is an exciting new plot driven puzzle game centered around a collective of thieves who crack safes with benevolent intentions. As a huge fan of 1960's era heist movies, Archer, Venture Bros, and Cowboy Bebop, I may or may not have squealed a little at the prospect of scoring this game. Here's a little bit about the process of writing one of the main character themes.

Chase is new to Burglars Inc. She's playful and fun but her youthful veneer belies her natural talent for burgling. The levels she's featured in are fast paced so the challenge was create a sense of urgency while keeping the music light enough to fit her personality.

My initial demo took stylistic cues from shows like "The People's Court", "The Powerpuff Girls", and "The Venture Bros". I wanted the actual substance of the music to be all business, while the instrument choices wrapped it up in a cutesy package. I'd describe myself similarly, but personal experience has taught me it tends to work better as a musical approach than a dating strategy. The rhythm ticks away regularly to mimic the feel of seconds counting down on a mechanical clock. All of this is against heavy piano stabs which add a little more emotional weight and allude to a sense of danger. Since the piece needed to be able to loop infinitely, I opted to keep the melody simple in an effort to avoid annoying the listener upon the 150th repeat. This first demo is provided below:

While I received some positive feedback, the general concensus was that the track came across a bit too modern and dark, and not jazzy enough for the style of the game. In short, it felt too "Brock Samson Smash (Venture Bros)" and not enough "Rusty and Danny Ocean (Ocean's Eleven)". I created another version with some horn parts sketched in, but it felt a bit forced so I went back to the drawing board.

In the next round I shifted my focus to music that had more of a straight jazz feel. I took more influences from the likes of Lalo Schifrin, Mal Waldron, and of course, Yoko Kanno. As it turns out, having an awesome name is like 80% of writing really great music. Forget studying theory/orchestration/sound design/etc. From now on I will be known as Bif LeStrange.

I decided to go with a more identifiable melody - something that even amateur burglars could hum to themselves while cracking safes at home. I kept the plucked strings and glockenspiel from the first demo, but pushed them into the background and used the falling line in the glock to paraphrase the melody played in the saxophones. I slowed the tempo down quite a bit so that I could add a bit more rhythmic density. Protip: Hand drums always make jazz cooler, and when in doubt, add more shakers! Taking cues from the epically named composers above, I let a funky bass line drive the piece. The overall effect was the following demo:

This track was received much more favorably and I got the thumbs up to move forward. After that, it was simply a matter of fleshing harmonies out, developing the material, and hacking away at finessing the production.

I wanted the melody to grow like a Chia Pet in an advertisement, so I started each phrase as a thin line, and gradually fattened it as it went along. This was also a dating tactic of mine, and it worked as well as the last one I mentioned. I'm beginning to suspect I'm not very good at courtship. I added a countermelody in the trombones to give the repeated sections a little more spice. At this point the plucked strings were demanding too much attention, so I dropped them down an octave and pushed them further back in the mix. I also decided the solo needed to be played on the flute because obviously...the solo needed to be played on the flute. It captures Chase's playful qualities, and creates more diversity in sound. Also jazz flute is funny.

I'm incredibly happy with the way the music came out! I'm rarely able to work on this type of music so I had a blast with his project. Overall I contributed three tracks, and my only regret is that I couldn't contribute more. On the plus side, there's a fair amount of demo material that didn't work out for this project. Perhaps I'll finish some of them up and put out a Burglars Inc B-sides and Rarities collection someday. Until then, check out this game. I'm sure you'll have at least as much fun playing it as I had composing for it! Burglars Inc, coming out on February 2nd!

[drkreviews]

Evil and Justice

Here I am with a new review in “Let’s Listen to”! Today’s subject is one of the most awaited releases of this year, coming from the famous band Mucc, precisely their 15th album Aku -Justice- (Evil -Justice-), released today. This album marks an important feat for the band, not only for being the 15th full work, but also for the concept, aiming to a comeback in their own musical essence, throughout the contrast between evil and justice. And now... let’s review!

-Aku -Justice-: the title-track starts the album with slow notes and Tatsurou’s voice, kicking off a really energetic theme, with electronic shades; the rhythm becomes faster and the vocals become heavier and piercing, in an adrenalinic track, a powerful opener for the release. ---> 9.5/10

-Crack: this song starts with a fast rhythm, in an energetic theme built up by a sinuous and rapid guitar; the vocals are shaded, featuring rapping parts and aggressive shades, working pretty well in the melody; another adrenalinic track, with an impressive technique, especially in the second part. ---> 9.5/10

-Ameria -Aku mix-: already released as single last year, this song starts with a piercing guitar, in an articulated theme, well built by the single parts; Miya’s guitar is strong, along with adrenalinic drums and Tatsurou’s efficient and compelling vocals, which since the first note, build up the whole track; a really powerful and complex track, with an exquisite technique and a nice versatility. ---> 9.5/10

-Kamikaze Over Drive: this short track is characterized by a fast rhythm and piercing notes, accompanying energetic vocals, bringing a bit of aggressiveness into the melody; a brief but nice song. ---> 9/10

-Kurage (Jellyfish): this song starts with strong guitar notes and a quite articulated rhythm, where the piano creates an unique atmosphere; Tatsurou shows off clear and seducing vocals, fitting up the retrò vibe of the song; a nice and peculiar song, exalted by the guitar work. ---> 9/10

-Friday the 13th: fast drums for this song, always keeping up the retrò vibe, along with rapid notes; Tatsurou’s voice is energetic and a bit provoking, for a song which mixes up aggressivity and fascination, even being brief. ---> 9/10

-Cobalt: clear notes open the song, which appears quite different from the previous ones, because of the lighter vibe and the electronic component, more featured than expected; the vocals are softer but always relevant, building up a powerful vocal interpretation; a light and melodious track. ---> 9.5/10

-Sandman: this song starts with estranging notes and a piercing bass, kicking off an heavy and noisy melody, driven by effected vocals; the rhythm is well articulated, where the vocals bring up an unique energy and keep up the whole thing; a paced and peculiar metal track. ---> 9/10

-Memai -ft. Hazuki (lynch.)- (Vertigo): this song is opened by fast drums and a raging guitar, leading up to an heavy and paced melody; the duet between Tatsurou and Hazuki works pretty well, even if the latter does only some background screamo; an unpredictable song, with nice rhythm changes and a refined extreme vibe. ---> 8.5/10

-Super Hero: the guitar introduces this song in an energetic way, building up a fascinating melody; the vocals are flowing and intense, fitting with the melody and bringing up an impactful vocal interpretation; a quite nice and positive track. ---> 9/10

-Dead or Alive: whispered vocals for a song which brings back the jazzy vibe into the album, along with strong metal and electronic influences; the theme evolves itself, becoming more addicting and energetic; a track which keeps up the atmosphere. ---> 9/10

-Self Hate: this song, a bit longer than the others, starts with a fast guitar and a jazzy rhythm, driven by piercing and various vocals; the theme is deep and well accompained by piano notes; in the second part the sound goes closer to metal , where the guitar maintains the retrò vibe pretty well; a quite articulated song.  ---> 9/10

-Alpha: this song is opened by intense guitar notes, kicking off a slow theme; the vocals are quite relevant and deep, in a song which echoes some Mucc’s recent ballads; a melodious track, with a good vocal interpretation. ---> 9/10

-My World -Aku mix-: coming from one of the last year’s singles, this song sees slower guitar notes leading up to a faster and positive theme; the vocals are quite flowing, keeping up the song; a simpler but fitting track, a good way for showing Mucc’s lightest side. ---> 9/10

-Sei to Shi to Kimi -Aku mix- (Life, death and you): taken from the single Jigen Bakudan, this song is opened by Tatsurou’s voice, with soft notes accompained by a simple rhythm; the theme becomes more energetic and paced, with the vocals adapting to the melody, up to reach an adrenalinic shade, well rendered by both vocals and instruments, especially in the refrain; a distinctive song, in each aspect. ---> 9.5/10

-Spica: the album ends with a song started by melancholic notes; Tatsurou’s voice is soft, accompained by a slow guitar and a paced rhythm; the theme becomes more emotive and structured, where the major highlight is the passionate vocal interpretation; a nostalgical ending track, with almost a minute of silence at the end. ---> 9/10

Final Vote ---> 9/10

Everytime Mucc releases something new, the Japanese rock audience is definitely caught by it and it doesn’t happen by case. The most renowned feature of this incredible band is their unique and distinctive genre variety they bring in each release and Aku -Justice- is built around this approach, with a great result. Compared to more conceptual and experimental works of theirs, like Kowareta Piano to Living Dead, this album goes straight to the band’s musical essence, bringing out all the energy, the complexity and the emotion which their sound is filled of. Sixteen tracks, each one with a distinct identity, but tied together by a common language, wrap up in the album in a flowing and streamlined experience, a thing which Mucc never failed to do, even in their indie phase. This album has brought up potency and life in a summer where the current worldwide situation is more troubled than ever, and gives the music audience needs to listen to right now, the kind which never dies, marking it as a great contender for the album of the year. An album for who needs energy and adrenaline by a veteran band, a true concentrate of great music.

That’s all folks! See you tomorrow for the first part of June’s themed week in “Throwback Thursday”!

Thanks for the reading!

READ OUR RELATED POSTS:

REVIEWS

Antique (25.12.1999)

Kuchiki no tou (01.09.2004)

Yue, ni matenrou (10.09.2014)

T.R.E.N.D.Y. -Paradise from 1997- (24.06.2015)

Heide (15.06.2016)

Classic (14.09.2016)

Kowareta Piano to Living Dead (13.02.2019)

SONG ANALYSIS

Libra (from Libra)

[mrhotmaster]

Jabra Elite 75t True Wireless Earphones Detailed Review

Jabra Elite 75t True Wireless Earphones Review

Are those the best true wireless earphones for Rs. 15,000 that you can buy?

Danish audio equipment manufacturer Jabra has a powerful product home in the buyer audio segment, with its wireless headphones and earphones particularly popular. the corporate was an early mover within the true wireless segment with the Jabra Elite 65t and Elite Active 65t both of which scored well in our reviews. Competition within the segment is now more intense, and Jabra has stepped up its game to remain before the curve.

The company recently launched the successors to the 65t range, the Jabra Elite 75t, and Jabra Elite Active 75t. Today, we're reviewing the marginally cheaper of the 2, the Elite 75t. Priced at Rs. 14,999 in India, the Jabra Elite 75t isn't quite as immune to the weather because of the Active variant, but the 2 models are practically equivalent altogether other ways, and promise to be all-round performers. determine if the Jabra Elite 75t lives up to those expectations in our review.

Jabra Elite 75t Design And Specifications

We're wont to seeing larger true wireless earphones because the price goes up, but Jabra has managed to form the Elite 75t compact and lightweight. There are not any stems for the microphones, and therefore the earphones themselves are a touch smaller than the Elite 65t. These changes in design have made all the difference for comfort, with the Elite 75t being among the foremost comfortable pairs of truly wireless earphones we've utilized in recent times.

The sales package includes the earphones, charging case, USB Type-C charging cable, and three pairs of silicone ear tips. The pre-fitted ones worked best for us, giving us a secure, noise isolating fit that was comfortable even when worn for hours at a stretch. the proper earphone is that the active one and may be used alone, while the left earphone receives its signal only it's within a six-inch range of the proper one.

Although entirely plastic, the earphones look and feel good. The Jabra Elite 75t is out there during a single color - titanium - and is IP55-rated for dust and water resistance. this is often the most important difference between the Elite 75t and Elite Active 75t; the latter is IP57-rated for better water resistance. That said, the Elite 75t is going to be ready to handle reasonable amounts of exposure to sweat, water, and dust, making them appropriate for normal everyday use.

The earphones each have a physical button, an indicator light, and a motion sensor. The sensor is employed to automatically pause music when either earphone is removed, and resume when it's worn again. The buttons are often wont to control everything on the earphones, including volume, playback, hear-through mode, and therefore the voice assistant on a paired smartphone. However, the button-press combinations are a touch complicated, and that we often pressed the incorrect button because we simply couldn't remember what to try to to.

A single press on the left earbud enables hear-through (to be ready to hear your surroundings); a single-press on the proper plays or pauses music or answers calls; a double-press on the left skips to subsequent track; a double-press on the proper activates the voice assistant on your paired smartphone; a triple-press on the left skips to the previous track; and pressing and holding on the left and right sides decreases or increases the quantity respectively.

The Jabra Elite 75t comes with a little black charging case, which is straightforward to store in your pocket or during a small space in any bag. The case features a magnetic lid, a USB Type-C port for charging, and an indicator light at the rear. the sunshine shows the charging status also because of the battery level using different colors.

When it involves specifications, the Jabra Elite 75t is sort of well equipped for a pair of true wireless earphones. The headset uses Bluetooth 5 for connectivity, with support for the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs. 6mm dynamic drivers power the earphones, with a frequency response range of 20-20,000Hz. Up to 2 Bluetooth source devices are often actively connected to the earphones at a time, and up to eight devices are often remembered. The earphones have four microphones (two on each earbud) for calls and noise reduction on calls.

The Jabra Elite 75t ran for slightly below seven hours during our testing, with the charging case offering a further three charges for an honest total of around 27 hours of use. Interestingly, the case supports fast-charging; you'll get a fast burst like one hour's worth of listening with just quarter-hour of charging, consistent with Jabra.

The Jabra Elite 75t earphones work with a companion app - Jabra Sound+ - which is out there for iOS and Android. The app allows you to set ‘Moments' which govern the hear-through level supported your current environment. you'll also set the intensity of the hear-through mode, adjust the equalizer, and hear various ‘soundscapes'. These include various canned sounds, like pink and noise, sounds of nature, and comforting ambiance, all of which could are available handy to assist concentration or sleep.

Jabra Elite 75t Performance

Jabra headphones and earphones are highly rated by us when it involves sound quality, and therefore the Elite 75t is expectedly impressive during this department. While there's not support for the aptX Bluetooth codec, AAC support and well-tuned drivers bring good performance when taking note of music. We also tested the earphones using the OnePlus 7T Pro and Apple MacBook Air Bluetooth codecs as aim devices.

We started with Forces… Darling by Koop, and quite enjoyed how detailed the sound was. The gentler drum beats and high-hats sounded crisp and distinct during the track, whilst the graceful, jazzy vocals took center stage during this electronic jazz number. The soulful instruments never lost out and felt almost as distinct because the vocals which are usually focused.

Interestingly, the bass didn't seem very present or real within the track, which is strictly because it was meant to be. Hints of low-end punch were heard within the drum beats, but the Jabra Elite 75t rightly allowed the mids and highs to return into focus.

When taking note of Your Love by Mark Knight - a more conventional deep house track - the lows were definitely brought into focus. The earphones did play to the genre effectively, but perhaps a touch an excessive amount of. many raw thumps were on show when taking note of this fast-paced, aggressive track on the Jabra Elite 75t. As before, there was detail to be heard, and therefore the mid-range and highs weren't being overpowered, but the bass definitely came to the fore. It's punchy, impactful, and reverberates with impressive low-end extension. While we definitely enjoyed what the Elite 75t could do, it's worth mentioning that this level of aggression within the lows could be a touch an excessive amount of for several listeners.

Listening to Sam Smith's How does one Sleep, the bass drop about 1 minute, 20 seconds into the track was definitely on the aggressive side, which suggests that the lows are perhaps a touch too punchy and should be influencing tons of genres and tracks the incorrect way. Better Bluetooth codec support - LDAC or aptX - may have made the difference here, allowing the earphones to urge a touch more detail and knowledge to play out the tracks better.

What particularly impressed us about the Jabra Elite 75t was the extent of passive noise isolation it offers. it is so effective that we found it nearly as good as proper active noise cancellation, and therefore the choice to activate the hear-through mode and adjust what proportion ambient sound you'll allow to filter through is useful also. the superb noise isolation also meant that music and sound in videos were very engaging and immersive, particularly if you wish bass-heavy audio.

A big chunk of Jabra's business is its professional headset division, and therefore the company is well regarded when it involves voice-based communications. Indeed, the Jabra Elite 75t is superb when it involves voice calls; the sound was crisp and clear on both ends of the decision, even in noisy environments. We still find the Apple AirPods Pro to be the simplest within the consumer-grade true wireless segment when it involves performance on calls, but the Jabra Elite 75t may be a close second and costs much less.

Verdict

Jabra may be a popular name within the wireless audio space permanently reason, and therefore the Elite 75t truly wireless earphones show that the corporate hasn't lost its touch. These earphones are among the simplest that you simply can purchase for fewer than Rs. 15,000; you get a good sound, impressive design, decent battery life, and excellent call quality. Priced in between the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ and therefore the Apple AirPods Pro, the Jabra Elite 75t represents the center ground in terms of features and performance.

Although we enjoyed the aggression within the bass, tons of listeners might find it a touch much. the shortage of support for the aptX and LDAC Bluetooth codecs also will disappoint many users. However, if you'll get past these small drawbacks, the Jabra Elite 75t may be an excellent pair of earphones for Rs. 15,000.

Price: Rs. 14,999

Pros

Secure fit, excellent noise isolation

Good app, hear-through mode

Detailed sound, powerful bass

Very good for voice calls

Decent battery life

Cons

Bass can sometimes be too aggressive

No aptX, LDAC Bluetooth codec support

Ratings (out of 5)

Design/ comfort: 4.5

Audio quality: 4

Battery life: 4.5

Value for money: 3.5

Overall: 4

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[airadam]

Episode 116 : Headphone Fiend

"...but we worship the dollar, so what we gon' do for jihad?"

- Styles P

Happy New Year! If I say so myself, I think this is a great mix - plenty to match the colder weather we're having, and opportunities for some enjoyable-to-mix transitions between tracks. Press "play" and get ready for end-to-end quality...

Tickets for Homeboy Sandman and Edan in Manchester on Feb 7th - don't miss out!

Twitter : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Alchemist ft. MidaZ : Don Seymour's Theme

One thing you might not notice on first listen - this tune has hardly any drums! Alchemist makes a fresh beat regardless on this short and sweet track from his "Russian Roulette" album, an unusual producer-centred project that draws most of its sonic source material from old Soviet-era music. The lyrics are all American though, with Orlando's MidaZ just streaming bars out with no hook to stop the onslaught.

Exile : Love To The World

Fat Beats' "Baker's Dozen" series gives producers thirteen tracks each to show what they can do, and Exile's contribution is a fine one from a true master of the MPC. Not naming the sample, but if you know the Group Home "Livin' Proof" album, it should sound familiar - here though, it's flipped in a very different way.

Hyenas In The Desert : Wild Dogs

Long Island's Hyenas were one of the first acts signed to Chuck D's Slam Jamz label back in the mid-90s. Kendu is the only named MC, with the others being masked and uncredited. They had a bit of a weird vibe, maybe not quite "horrorcore" as I've seen them described, but not entirely out of keeping with a lot of other material of the era. Gary G-Wiz on the production here with a beat anchored around some tight drums. Find this one on the "Die Laughing" release - patchy, but a few good tracks on there.

Jean Grae : The Jam

One of the most flavourful MCs out there, and one who has probably never recorded a bad verse! I bought the "2K6 (The Tracks)" compilation to get a different tune which will appear on the show at some point, but this little heater has jumped the queue in the meantime. Even at a modest 92BPM, Khrysis cooks up a beat that can make you want to at least dance in your chair :)

Heltah Skeltah : Undastand

I was convinced I must have played this on a past episode but was glad to find I hadn't! Smooth but with those strong Beatminerz drums driving it along, this album track has Ruck (b.k.a Sean Price, RIP), and Rock (who at the time, was getting most of the shine) going back and forth in fine 90s style.

Lovebirds ft. Galliano and 80s Babies : Icarus (TBG Remix)

Tall Black Guy on the remix on this gem from Record Store Day 2017 - the original is dope, but when I flipped it to hear this version on the B-side I could barely hand over the cash fast enough! Jazzy, but with a nice bump on the drums, you can just relax for a few minutes to this one. 

Dibia$e : Luv Suite

A second pick from the "Baker's Dozen" series, this time from the mind of Watts' Diba$e. Listen closely and you'll hear several different flips of the same classic 80s soul record - a true suite in the classical musical sense.

Children Of Zeus : Head To The Sky

When the surprise release "The Winter Tape" dropped just before the Xmas break, this tune was my clear favourite and that opinion hasn't changed. The beat is an absolutely fire, fierce reworking of a spiritual anthem, but the words are what will stay with you. Konny and Tyler's lyrics about coping with stress and depression will strike a chord with many, and make this one a tune that deserves the widest possible airing.

AZ : Rather Unique

The 90s heads will nod in recognition of this one! "Sugar Hill" was the huge first single from "Doe Or Die", but this cheeky Pete Rock production was the B-side with more of a rugged edge. The master of the SP-1200 also lays plenty of cuts into the mix but leaves room in the verses for the man who broke out big on Nas' "Life's A Bitch" to shine. He certainly lived up to the track title.

Talib Kweli & Styles P ft. Rapsody and Chris Rivers : Let It Burn

I think I may have once sampled the same track as Khrysis did here, so I can appreciate how well he freaked it here! This is from the 2017 EP "The Seven", and while all the MCs do the business, I think Styles P slayed it on the opening verse, if not just his opening two bars. 

Viceversah ft. Kool G Rap : Legends Of The Game

I only heard this for the first time recently but it's a 2008 track from the "James And The Giant Beats" album by this Boston-based MC. Vice puts in a decent performance, but I came for Kool G Rap and he predictably steals the show! The Arcitype handles production, incorporating a bunch of snare rolls into a gloomy, forbidding beat.

[Havoc] Mobb Deep : Bloodsport (Instrumental)

This just mixes so nicely with the Viceversah track, it had to be done. Havoc on the beat with one of the less-mentioned album tracks from the incredibly dark and well-executed "Hell On Earth" LP.

Scarface ft. Rush Davis : Steer

From the opening vocals, you can't get much gloomier than this one. Scarface has explored the darker side of things since his very first recordings, and is one of the best if not the best at it. This track from "Deeply Rooted" hits hard from the very first listen, with Face in storytelling mode and Luke Walker (no way did other kids not call him Luke Skywalker) with the kind of beat you can't just stumble into. It's atmospheric, angular, hostile, and somehow soulful all at once, and one that plenty of MCs wouldn't be able to do anything with. This is also a track where the video is well worth a watch.

The Cool Kids : Black Mags Pt.II

"...went to jail and he left me his bike." Pure Weapon of Bass Destruction business here! The first "Black Mags" from 2008 was a killer (that I played all the way back on episode 5), but this amps up the bass even more as Chuck and Mikey look over their BMX days. This is a single that was one of my most welcome surprises of last year, and one that shows that you can, in fact, go home again.

Raekwon : Going At The Face (Freestyle)

One of the great MCs with a freestyle over one of the great instrumentals of all time, in my opinion - Salih Williams' monster "Sittin' Sidewayz" beat for Paul Wall. I could have done with it being a little longer, but that's the way it goes; it's just one of many short tracks from the Raekwon and DJ Thoro mixtape "Heroin Only". 

Showbiz & AG ft. Jeffery Nortey : Beautiful Lies

I wanted to play this song from "Mugshot Music" a few months back but couldn't make the speed fit - here, it's perfect. It's the melancholy story of a relationship gone sour, and the early instrumental reminds you of any number of love songs...then those drums smash through to underscore the lyrics. This 2012 release might have slipped under your radar but it's definitely worth going back to check for it.

[Kanye West] Common : The Corner (Instrumental)

Kanye might be on one right now, but I can't deny this beat. I still can't believe this single wasn't bigger than it was, this track is great.

Apollo Brown & Skyzoo : The Flyest Essence

This is a track that either needed to open or close an episode, purely because of the shape of the start and ending. A deep album cut from "The Easy Truth", the leisurely pace of the beat allows Skyzoo to confidently flow around it, like a lyrical river.

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

[frostbeats]

Favorite Albums of 2018

Here we are, another year in the books. I thought I’d compile a list of some of my favorite projects that artists did this year. Mind you, this is not a list of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2018, these were some of my favorites to listen to this year. I thought this was an amazing year for rap, especially this summer, so I’ve included quite a few rap records. I was still listening to a lot of music from 2017, but this list will focus strictly on what came out this year. There is no order of favorites. Without further ado, let’s dive in.

Astroworld - Travis Scott

You can’t talk music in 2018 without mentioning Astroworld. Was the album overhyped? Absolutely. Does that mean it didn’t deliver? No way. People were acting like Travis hadn’t done anything in half a decade, when in reality it had been less than 2 years since his sophomore effort, Birds in the Trap, and he had dropped the collab, Huncho-Jack, with Quavo at the end of 2017. Still, fans and artists alike salivated at the mention of Astroworld. The man even made a Jordan 4 to contribute to the album’s hype. Astroworld delivers immediately and rewards multiple listens, I consistently find new things in this album to appreciate. Travis is back with the signature ad-libs, old and new, and an all-star feature cast that rivals that of an Avengers movie. The album feels like a rollercoaster, roaring at a fast pace with plenty of thrills, but there are also some slower tracks to even the ride out. Travis has never been about deep material though. He’s always been about having a good time, especially this time around. It’s an absolute go to when you want to get lit like a Christmas tree. The beat switch ups (see Stargazing) are akin to maniacally switching lanes on a highway. Just watch out for the groups of frat boys that start dancing in a circle and shouting when Sicko Mode comes on at a bar.

Top 3: No Bystanders, Sicko Mode, Coffee Bean

Swimming - Mac Miller

“Every day I wake up and breathe. I don’t have it all, but that’s alright with me.”

Okay, I know I said I wasn’t doing this list in order, but Swimming is near, if not at, the top of albums this year for me. GO:OD AM still remains my favorite Mac project, but Swimming is probably his best project, critically. I probably could, and may, do a track-by-track review of this album. Mac is producing at his best, it’s a listen that flows smooth from start to finish without anything really feeling out of place. The album holds true to it’s name, with tracks see-sawing back and forth between sounding like having your head above the water and being pulled deep under the waves. The J. Cole produced “Hurt Feelings” will take you to the ocean floor, while “Jet Fuel” will have you drifting across the surface. Thundercat lays down some incredible bass lines, and John Mayer even makes an appearance on “Small Worlds”. “2009” is a track that hits right in the feels, recounting the change, both good and bad, since stepping into the limelight. Swimming is a journey of self-acceptance, and being okay with life even when you don’t triumph, a tragic message given Mac’s passing just a month after the record’s release. I related to many of these songs on a personal level with my own struggles in 2018, the album came out exactly when I needed it. Rest in peace, Mac. Most dope…forever.

Top 3: Hurt Feelings, 2009, Self Care

Honorable Mention: It didn’t make the album, but go listen to “Programs”; it’s so buttery

Proper Dose - The Story So Far

This band has yet to disappoint and gets better with each album they do, I’m thankful for that since it’s a rare thing. The album moves fast with a combination of tracks that are best listened to while flying down the highway or cruising with the windows down on a nice day. Classic pop-punk vibes are present on “Need To Know” and the title track, while the band explores a new, more melodic sound on “Upside Down” and “Growing On You”. The most welcome new addition is Parker’s ability to sing, progressing from his shouting-style on previous albums; “Take Me As You Please” showcases this beautifully. Ryan Torf also deserves a lot of credit for the air tight drums on every track. The percussion is a huge standout. This album was made to be blasted in a car on a summer day.

Top 3: Out Of It, Light Year, Take Me As You Please

YSIV - Logic

I tried to keep it to one project per artist, so this beat out Bobby Tarantino II for me. Logic has dropped at least one project every year since 2010, let that sink in. Somehow, he has managed to not sound overdone or saturated, a true testament to his craft and workaholic nature. YSIV (Young Sinatra IV) revisits the 90-style boom-bap sound of his Young Sinatra mixtape trilogy that got him known. Logic sounds like he walked through a portal and it’s the early 2010s again, but his raps and 6ix’s production have both ascended to a new level. 1-800 fans will be very confused as the bar-hungry Logic of old resurfaces to show people that he’s still an animal on the mic with tracks like “Everybody Dies” and “The Return”. If you like straight bars then this is the album for you. The ENTIRE Wu Tang Clan makes an appearance on the song “Wu Tang Forever”. “Street Dreams II” is storytelling at it’s best, an ode to the style of rap that dominated the 90s. YSIV sounds like a genuine continuation of the Young Sinatra era, rather than a sequel or remake that tries too hard to be like the original. The only thing missing is an iconic Marty Randolph skit.

Top 3: The Return, Street Dreams II, Ordinary Day

A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships - The 1975

The working title “Music for Cars” sent fans into a frenzy thinking that the band was revisiting their early days. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships proved to be the opposite by pushing the boundaries of the band’s sound. Yes, there are songs like TOOTIME and the single, “Love It If We Made It” that would sound perfectly at home on the previous album, but there are also jazzy songs like “Mine” and “Sincerity Is Scary” that we’ve never heard from this eclectic, pop quartet. The album explores a wide pallet of emotions, mostly surrounding love and relationships in the present day. They even propose the not so farfetched idea that we’re in a relationship with the internet and social media on “The Man Who Married a Robot”. I’ve always gravitated toward the instrumental interludes/tracks on The 1975 projects (excluding the remixed intros), but I also really enjoyed the softer songs as well on this one. This band has always encompassed many different feelings on their projects, but it’s broadcast on a similar spectrum for a given project. It’s hard to put this band in a box, and I really like that.

Top 3: Love Theme, Surrounded By Heads And Bodies, I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)

K.O.D. - J. Cole

Anytime J. Cole has been quiet for what seems like too long you can guarantee he’s about to drop something. K.O.D. officially marks the end of the Forest Hills Drive era that was continued on 4 Your Eyez. The album is a bit of an uncomfortable, medicated listen, start to finish, but that’s the point. It hits close to home for those that have struggled with addiction personally, or witnessed friends and family grapple. Cole warns listeners of the dangers of addiction and drug abuse, especially as a staple of the modern rap scene. However, Cole shows us that addiction isn’t just substance based, but also comes in the forms of social media and ego, with deeper rooted problems that we cover with these things rather than face head on. “Photograph” calls out the ego-stroke that Instagram has turned into. Cole impressively comes off from a place of concern, rather than being preachy. The album isn’t an easy listen, but it’s a necessary one.

Top 3: Photograph, Kevin’s Heart, BRACKETS

Culture II - Migos

Migos wasted no time in following their 2017 breakthrough, Culture. Culture II essentially keeps the record spinning with a slew of new songs. A friend once said to me that most of Migos sounds the same, and there’s a lot of truth to that. But their triplet bar scheme is still catchy and a lot of these tracks are just a fun listen, whether you’re working out, cooking up a storm in the kitchen, or getting together with friends. “Supastars” and “Auto Pilot” are straight hype tracks, and the now ironic “Motorsport” slaps with the Nicki Minaj & Cardi B features. “Stir Fry” is a track that you can immediately hear Pharrell on despite his lack of vocals. Culture II is jam packed with lines that we’ve seen everyone use as Instagram captions throughout 2018, don’t count on that trend stopping anytime soon with Culture III already slated for early 2019.

Top 3: Motorsport, Movin’ Too Fast, Auto Pilot

Scorpion - Drake

There’s a lot I can say about Scorpion, I’ll try and keep it brief. The gargantuan work is a double album, split into 2 sides. Side A is more rap heavy, while Side B is moody R&B. The production on this record is phenomenal, 40 and OVO Sound killed this one. Scorpion feels like the long awaited followup to Take Care that so many people (myself included) have spent the past 7 years dreaming of. This isn’t the “beat your chest”, angry Drake of If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, or the British, grime-stint that was More Life. This is Drake at his best, simply being Drake. He’s braggadocios on “Nonstop” (with the now iconic Tay Keith production tag) and “Talk Up” (with an amazing verse by Hov). He’s moody, with in your feels songs like “Jaded” that will keep you up past 3 AM thinking about relationships that you were never in. He finds himself attempting to navigate life on “8 Out Of 10” and “March 14th”. Scorpion is well worth the long listen, with a wide array of offerings. In my opinion, this is Drake’s best project since Nothing Was the Same.

Top 3: Jaded, Nonstop, 8 Out Of 10

Honorary Mention (so many songs!): Sandra’s Rose

Man of the Woods - Justin Timberlake

I wish it didn’t always take this man half a decade to make new music, but I’m okay with quality over quantity. A homage to his son, Man of the Woods finds JT at his pop roots, but attempting to blend in some folk here and there for some robust notes. Most of the time it works out. “Say Something”, with Chris Stapleton, is a prime example. “Montana” will sound a bit more familiar to fans that know his signature pop sound. “Midnight Summer Jam” is the sweet spot between these two sounds that will have you grooving. There’s an interlude that’s reminiscent of “Blue Ocean Floor” on 20/20 (a sound I wish he’d make a whole album with). The Alicia Keys duet, “Morning Light”, feels like waking up on a sunny day after a great night’s sleep without a care in the world. Man of the Woods showcases JT’s versatility and willingness to take risks and push boundaries as a pop artist in a genre that often sounds repetitive. Most of the time it’s rewarding, and even when it’s off-step I still appreciate the effort. This album definitely grew on me after multiple listens.

Top 3: Midnight Summer Jam, Wave, Montana

Ye - Kanye West

Okay, Kanye had quite the year… let’s stick to the music. Ye was apparently recorded mere weeks before the deadline, the album cover was shot on the way to the release party. Kanye apparently scrapped the Love Everyone album (rumored to be the upcoming Yandhi) after the whole MAGA controversy, when he received “new creative energy”. Ye is a short listen, seven tracks just shy of 24 minutes (a common them on all the projects Kanye worked on this year). The album packs a lot of content in for a short listen though, mainly addressing mental health, Kanye’s struggle with bipolar disorder (aka his “superpower”), and the turbulent year he had. Production is one of the highlights on the album; it opens with a dreamy sequence as Kanye speaks some dark lines, a stark juxtaposition. “Ghost Town” is the emotional climax of the album; Kid Cudi, 070 Shake, and PartyNextDoor nail their features, while Kanye delivers some of his best lines on the album. Kanye closes out on “Violent Crimes” with a touching note reflecting on his past behavior as a man and how he now worries for his daughter as she grows up in the world today. It’s a fairly cohesive album for such a rushed project, definitely better put together than The Life of Pablo. Say what you want about Mr. West, but the man is a musical genius.

Top 3: Ghost Town, No Mistakes, Yikes

Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts

People lost it when rumors dropped last fall that Ye and Cudi were working on a joint album. The idea sounded like a home run and something that needed to happen, especially after the momentary feud between the two as Cudi struggled with his mental health at the end of 2016. Kids See Ghosts delivers tenfold, and, in my opinion, is the better effort from Kanye this year (it’s a joint album so it’s an acceptation to my 1 project per artist rule). Ye and Cudi have always brought out the best in each other creatively, they’re yin and yang. “Feel the Love” starts the listen with Cudi chanting and harsh hitting production as Kanye shouts akin to a tommy gun. It sounds like the duo are using their voices as instruments and having fun with it, a theme present across all seven songs. Kanye chops up a 1930s Christmas song to make a banger on “4th Dimension”. As the album progresses, the two tackle their personal issues and struggles, slaying their demons, and coming out rejuvenated on the other side. Cudi returns with his signature hums and hooks, transitioning between rapping his ass off and gently delivering his verses. He delivers a new anthem with “Reborn”, assuring the world that he’s okay. Kanye saved his best bars for this album, delivering some of his best verses since Dark Twisted Fantasy (yes, I said it). Kids See Ghosts is trip that is a far more cohesive listen than Ye (not to take away from Kanye’s solo effort), and is a project that we sorely needed this year. It shows that Cudi is in a better place than in 2016 and the duo can still do what they do best: make good music. While “all killer, no filler”, it’s is a bit of a bummer that the album is only seven songs long, but the fact that they both want to do another certainly makes up for it.

Top 3: Reborn, 4th Dimension, Feel the Love

Testing - A$AP Rocky

We last heard from A$AP Rocky in 2015. Flacko makes his return in 2018 with Testing, an experimental venture. As soon as the staticky bass drops on “Distorted Records” you know that this project is going to be different. True to it’s name, testing offers a variety of sounds with no clear identity. The record feels like a stepping stone as to where Rocky is going, rather than where he is at right now. “Hun43rd” will take longtime A$AP fans back to the early 2010s, while “Buck Shots” will make you curious to see where Rocky goes in the future. Harder beats are contrasted with tracks that focus on gentle guitar strumming, like “Changes” and “Purity”. A lot of rappers tend to play it safe and not experiment much with their sound while focusing on their bars and going with whatever beat is considered “fire” at that moment. It’s rare to see someone, especially a big name like A$AP, really try a variety of sounds and put out an abstract project. It may not be what we expected after At.Long.Last.A$AP, but I give serious props to Rocky for trying something different and look forward to his next project, even if it’s another wait.

Top 3: Hun43rd, Buck Shots, Changes

Little Dark Age - MGMT

This one quietly flew under the radar. MGMT made their return with their first release in half a decade. While apparently inspired by the 2016 election, the album carries little political discourse. Without changing their sound too much, the duo delivers a throwback to the 80s. This album is an absolute bop, plain and simple. Despite sounding like it came from a time capsule, the album addresses a variety of topics relevant to society today. “Time Spent Looking at My Phone” warns of how engrossed we have become with social media and our smartphones and are oblivious to the world around us. “Me and Michael” sounds like a Hall & Oates tribute. Overall the album is a fun listen start to finish, the band’s core sound and the 80s make for an awesome crossover. It’s just really nice to have MGMT back.

Top 3: Me and Michael, James, One Thing Left to Try

Championships - Meek Mill

2018 has been a huge year for Meek. He got released from prison and became an advocate for judicial reform (if you aren't familiar with the situation I implore you to read up on it because the media seriously misrepresented the facts to make him look like the bad guy and it goes to show the issues in our criminal justice system and the improvements that need to be made), the blockbuster beef with Drake was squashed onstage by performing Dreams and Nightmares (one of the greatest intros of all time), and he capped it off with an album. Championships is a victory lap, celebrating his comeback from a rough stretch involving some major losses. Funky vibes are present all over the album, which is uncharacteristic, but welcome for the usually hard hitting MC. Meek still raps about money, women, and his gritty past over beats that will blow out your speakers if you’re not careful, but also reflects on bigger topics like social injustice on “What’s Free” and “Trauma”. Amends are made with Drake on “Going Bad”. Meek once again proves that he’s undefeated when it comes to intros with a Phil Collins sample. Championships is the celebration of a man that took his lumps and came back, pop some bottles and join in on the party.

Top 3: What’s Free?, Dangerous, Pay You Back

Tha Carter V - Lil Wayne

Word of The Carter V surfaced before I started college… I finished grad school this past year. The album spent the better part of the decade tied up amid legal battles and feuding with Wayne’s old mentor, Birdman, and Cash Money Records. Wayne spent the time releasing various projects to try and satisfy the demand. Carter V seemed to be this decade’s Detox, an album we would always hear about but never actually get. Thank goodness that was not the case. The album clocks in just shy of 90 minutes, a hefty listen. But remember, the album was once slated for a 2013 release and contains material recorded as far back as 2012. Personally, I’m glad Wayne decided to include as much material as he did, this was a long time coming. It’s easily his best project in quite some time and reminds people of why Wayne dominated last decade. There’s something to offer Wayne fans of all eras, Mixtape Weezy, early Carter, and experimental Wayne are all present on this record. Hype tracks like “Uproar” are contrasted with duets like “Dark Side of the Moon”. Wayne lights up verses on “Let It Fly” and “Mona Lisa” (which also contains an impressive appearance from Kendrick). The record is a fun listen start to finish, welcome back, Weezy.

Top 3: Dope New Gospel, What About Me, Let It Fly

Daytona - Pusha T

Daytona had expectations. We last heard from Push in 2015 and this was the first of the wave of albums from G.O.O.D. Music this summer, not to mention one of the ones that was recorded during Kanye’s sojourn in Wyoming and also featured the photo of the late Whitney Houston’s bathroom as the controversial album cover. Daytona sounds like a modern take on the 90s boom-bap sound. Kanye West reminds everyone that he is a producer turned rapper, with top-tier production as executive producer and makes an appearance on “What Would Meek Do?”. Push then gobbles up these sensational beats akin to someone that waited all day to eat Thanksgiving dinner. The new G.O.O.D. CEO hits hard with the verses on every track and pulls no punches. “Infrared” brought his longtime beef with Drake from a simmer to a full boil and laid the ground for one of the most elaborate, methodical spillings of tea that music saw in some time. Originally intended to be King Push, Kanye and Push apparently decided to scrap 2 full albums before creating what would become Daytona, the wait and process was well worth it. The production is some of 2018’s best and the verses back it up. The drug dealer turned executive talks the talk and walks the walk. Yes it’s very early, but I’ll say it: this album will go down as a classic and be remembered as one of the better rap albums of the late 2010s.

Top 3: The Games We Play, Hard Piano, If You Know You Know

And finally, it’s been over 2 years, but go listen to Frank Ocean’s Blonde again. That album has aged like a fine wine.

[sorcerouss-blog]

Red River Family Fest 2018 in Review

Background

I’ve been seriously into metal for at least 4 to 5 years now - longer if you include my forays into melodic death metal and power metal back in high school, but this is the first festival I’ve been to. I’d always imagined my first festival to be something like Wacken, Hellfest or Roadburn (where I thought I would come by the funds necessary to travel and stay in Europe I have no idea), but I’m glad things happened the way that they did.

This year’s Red River Family Fest happened the weekend of the 28th of September at Barracuda, a live music venue in Austin, Texas. It was hosted by the eponymous Red River Family Records, a label specializing in releasing black metal cassettes, and included a lineup of mostly North American bands.

A regional scene that seemed well-represented in the lineup was the Vrasubatlat bands of Portland, Oregon. The label was responsible for several under-the-radar fan favorite releases this year, including Serum Dreg’s Lustful Vengeance, Dagger Lust’s Siege Bondage Averse to the Godhead, and my personal favorite, Adzalaan’s Into Vermillion Mirrors, which I ended up snagging a tape of. Though they didn’t release this year, Triumvir Foul did play at the festival, to much fanfare.

Other names I was actively following prior to attending the fest included the following: FIN, who had released the fantastic Arrows of a Dying Age last year; Uada, who had burst onto the scene with the stunning debut Devoid of Light back in 2016 and followed up with the lackluster Cult of a Dying Sun earlier this year; Imperial Triumphant, who recently made waves with their jazzy, experimental take on black metal and outlandish aesthetics; Panegyrist with their avant-garde debut album Hierurgy; and Vilkacis, who sadly cancelled their appearance last minute. The latter released both the full-length album Beyond the Mortal Gate and a split with former labelmates Turia this year, both of which I recommend without reservation.

The venue itself was split up into an indoor stage, with a bar and merch section, and an outdoor stage. The setup was pretty ingenious; once the night got into full swing with the most popular bands playing, a band would set up outside while another performed inside, and vice versa. The result? Back-to-back sets, and upwards of 20 bands squeezed into the space of two nights.

Friday Highlights

Panegyrist. By god, these guys can sing and play. The aesthetics weren’t half bad, either. The band sets itself apart from the rest of the genre with two clean vocalists and heavy use of keyboards, all situated within a ritualistic, melodic atmosphere. This set was a breath of fresh air.

Tempestarii stands out as being the most immersive performance of the festival. In medieval lore, the band’s namesake were weather magicians who could raise storms at will. If I were to describe the experience of their set briefly, I’d say that it felt like being in the center of a raging storm. Thick, heavy, thunderlike chords were interspersed with trembling whispers of wind in an all-encompassing whirlwind of sound and vibrating air around me. A fitting name, indeed.

If you were listening to FIN on record, you wouldn’t realise it was just two guys playing. With that said, they had no problem leading the (very exhausted) crowd through an entire set of fast-paced, triumphant, baroque-influenced black metal. This was a very enjoyable set, and I promptly purchased the 2017 release Arrows of a Dying Age at the end of the night.

Crawl is a sight to behold. This one-man project plays grating, sludgy noise on a contraption that looks a deconstructed bass guitar set atop a drum set, all held together by the vertebrae of some ancient serpentine monster.

Saturday Highlights

Imperial Triumphant shot to fame earlier in 2018 with their jazzy, disorienting release Vile Luxury. Embodying the grotesque luxury and rotten underbelly of the metropolis New York City, the band impressed with both their frantic, unnerving sound and stage getup, featuring the three members in expressionless gold masks and long, black hooded cloaks.

Panzerfaust was the best live act that played at the festival. I’d heard of them in passing, but the catchy riffs and technical chops of the band members really shone in a live performance. Add to that the fantastic theatrics of their performance, and this ranks as one of my favorite performances from the festival.

Uada was one of the most eagerly awaited acts of the night, and they allowed the excitement in the audience to mount. Finally emerging from amidst the fog from many smoke machines and bathed in an eerie purple light, the band launched directly into songs from both their old and new albums. Even though my fondness for the band has been dampened by their underwhelming new album, I can’t deny that they put on a good show, especially when playing old favorites.

I tried to record as many of the performances as possible and posted them to my Instagram. Find my video clips here.

See the post tags (beginnning #litany of ruinous entities/#lore) for the full lineup.

[findmyhouse]

EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER - TRILOGY (1972): 6/10

(Originally posted on 23 July, 2017)

Alright, so that break was a little longer than I’d hoped, but honestly, it’s not as easy to come up with things to say about some albums as it is for other albums. Case in point: Trilogy, while not bad, is certainly not an essential entry in Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s discography and covers very little new ground. It also has one of the worst album covers I’ve seen so that doesn’t help the situation any. Sigh… How far we’ve strayed from the giant armadillo tanks of yore…

Instead of having one giant long-winded epic track, the band this time decided to have three slightly less giant ones (“The Endless Enigma”, “Trilogy” and “Abaddon’s Bolero”) in addition to some shorter songs: another Greg Lake ballad (“From The Beginning”), another joke track in the tradition of “Jeremy Bender” (“The Sheriff”; although this time the band put a lot more effort into creating a less generic and more complex melody, so that it doesn’t feel like a throwaway. It’s also got some funny lyrics and you can hear Carl Palmer say “shit” when he screws up his drum solo at the start, so check it out), and another synth-dominated cover of a classical piece (“Hoedown”, originally by Aaron Copland). The only other track that’s under five minutes is “Living Sin”, which is pretty forgettable, and Greg Lake puts up a low grumbly voice on it which is just kinda ugly. Skip it!

Unfortunately, the epics generally don’t work quite as well as on the preceding albums. All three of them are around eight minutes long but most of them don’t really seem to have enough musical ideas to support that runtime. I suppose “The Endless Enigma” works well enough as a bombastic album opener, and it helps that the musicians are all still in top form and having a blast (I especially enjoy the little piano and bass fugue in between the two parts of the suite), but the chorus is just not as memorable or energetic as that of similar songs the guys made before and after. I’m also not a fan of the title track. It starts off as another Greg Lake-dominated ballad, but not a good one: it's just sappy, with Keith offering a minimal piano background and Greg occasionally trying out a falsetto and failing. The lyrics don't help matters either ("We tried to lie / but you and I  / know better than to let each other lie / The thought of lying to you makes me cry" [Thank God they hired someone else to write lyrics for them on the next album...]). The song then leads into a sort of cool jazzy jam before ending with a jolly fast-paced part that’s still a little boring. The problem is not even just that the melody sucks, but mostly it’s how monotonous the arrangement is. I think Emerson uses the same synth tone throughout 90% of the album.

If you ask me, there are only two tracks that really justify this album’s existence. One is “From The Beginning”: while it follows the same format as “Lucky Man” (an acoustic guitar ballad with a synthesizer solo), it feels far less banal and more introspective. Plus, the synth solo is a lot less extravagant and fits the song much better, whereas on “Lucky Man” it seemed to come out of nowhere and felt really out of place.

My favourite track however is “Abaddon’s Bolero”, which is indeed a bolero: a melody is repeated again and again over a simple military march rhythm, with new layers being added every time. Remember what I said about Keith’s synth sounds not being diverse enough on this album? Well, on this track he makes up for it and pulls everything he can out of the instrument, starting with a barely audible flute-like tone and eventually ending up with a vast array of different sounds and melodies that all play simultaneously, like a synthesized orchestra (complete with fake trombone glissandos!). I realize that the song’s repetitive nature could just as easily drive you up the wall, though. Ah well, I would never claim that this sort of music (or really, any sort of music) is for everyone. Give it a chance, is all I can say.

Best song: ABADDON’S BOLERO