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spring-emerald · 5 years ago

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Haikyuu!! Idol!AU Girl Group Edition

So, it’s finally here.

DISCLAIMER: References are more K-pop than J-pop and concepts and songs are from groups I am familiar with.

The Group at a Glance

Dubbed as the Nation’s Girl Group. A permanent group formed from a reality competition/survival show (very much like Produce 101/Produce 48), and they were the final members chosen by the viewers.

Though in their case, they wouldn’t just promote as a whole group, but they would also promote at least two different sub-units (very much like LOONA), then there’s also a group with chosen members to represent the whole group based on the concept given (kind of like NCT with NCT U).

They’re a diverse group, and can pretty much sell different concepts earning them a reputation of being like a ‘chameleon’ group because they can adapt rather quickly.

Full of good looking members, all visual material, but don’t be fooled because these girls are dorks and most of the members are very competitive and that makes for a good variety show content.

Has a group Youtube channel where they showcase song and dance covers and also features member of the day vlogs.

Concepts/Songs:

Overall concept or a whole group concept that best represents them would be WSJN’s Secret. Or I.O.I’s Crush. Though there’s also Twice’s Fancy and Feel Special, but I guess that’s later in their career as a group.

There’s also IZ*ONE’s La Vie en Rose, gugudan’s A Girl Like Me and The Boots, SNSD’s Mr. Mr. and Lion Heart, and Twice’s TT.

Sub-unit songs leaning towards girl crush concepts: gugudan’s Not That Type, Pristin V’s Get It, Red Velvet’s Bad Boy and Psycho, Everglow’s Bon Bon Chocolat and ITZY’s Dalla Dalla to name a few.

Sub-unit songs leaning towards cute, innocent concepts: Apink’s I don’t know, GFRIEND’s Glass Bead and Navillera. There’s also SNSD’s Oh, I.O.I’s Very Very Very, Twice’s Signal and Cheer Up, Red Velvet’s Dumb Dumb and Red Flavor, Twice’s What is Love? for starters.

Other songs: Red Velvet’s One of These Nights, I.O.I’s Downpour, gugudan’s Diary, 2NE1’s It Hurts and Lonely.

More songs that units can do: TaeTiSeo’s Twinkle, Red Velvet’s Be Natural, Sonamoo’s I Think I Love You, Twice’s OOH AHH, KARA’s Step, and T-ARA’s Lovey Dovey. I don’t know. These songs sound fun for them to do.

Girl groups have a wide range of concepts so they pretty much touched most of them. They also have their fair share of covering boy group songs and dances so there’s also that.

The Members (in order of age)

Haiba Alisa – Alisa is the oldest member of the group and serves as sub-vocal, and visual. She’s also the actress idol among the group, and prior to joining the show, she’d been training as a model and actress. The darling onee-san, known for her delicate mannerisms and remarkable sense of style. She’s always doting on her members especially the younger ones.

My reference for idol Alisa is SNSD’s Sooyoung.

Misaki Hana – Hana is the second oldest and serves as vocal and dancer of the whole group. She’s the sub-leader of the whole group and is the leader of one of the sub-units. She’s quiet but a versatile member, and is considered an all-rounder because give her anything, she can handle it. Was already known in some form prior to joining the show because during her trainee days, she was featured in one of her agency’s boy group MV as the leading lady.

gugudan’s Hana is my reference for idol Hana.

Michimiya Yui – Yui is the leader of the whole group, as well as the other sub-unit, serves as lead vocalist and dancer. She’s known within the fandom as the crybaby leader, flustered leader, because much as she tries to keep it in, she’s really emotional and she cares a lot about the members of the group. She’s chosen as the leader even though she’s not the oldest because time and again, during the show’s course, she’s always shown helping contestants, whether they’re in the same group or not, improve and this endeared her to the viewers.

Twice’s Jihyo is my reference for idol Yui.

Suzumeda Kaori – Kaori is the main rapper and lead dancer of the group. She’s one of the girls from her agency to be included in the final line-up. Basically has reverse charm because she’s quiet and sweet when in front of the camera, but when performing, she shifts into a lethal rapper and dancing machine. She’s also a good producer and has had a hand on some of the group’s releases.

Pristin’s Nayoung is my idol reference for Kaori.

Yamaka Mika - Mika is the group’s main vocal. A skilled songwriter as well, something she got from her father who’s a composer. Came from one of the big talent agencies so there was quite a lot of pressure on her to do well, which she did because she has the voice to prove it. The only member revealed to be in a relationship (much to the fanboy’s dismay), but they still support her, since her boyfriend seems to be really sweet and good to her (base from her Insta stories).

I.O.I and WSJN’s Yeonjung is my reference for Mika.

Shimizu Kiyoko – Kiyoko serves as the groups vocal and another visual. The ice queen-slash-winter goddess, as the fandom dubs her. She’s quiet and generally a poker-faced beauty but has some sort of 4d personality, especially when she’s ‘playing’ around with the younger members. The group’s representative to anything athletic, as she used to be part of the track team during her middle school years. The group’s dark horse when it comes to variety shows, because of her witty one liners. Has the most fanboys out of the members.

Red Velvet’s Irene is Shimizu’s idol reference.

Nametsu Mai – Mai is the main dancer of the group, and also serves as sub-rapper. The ‘dance cover diva’ as she’s known, she’s already a bit famous prior to joining the competition show because of her cover channel that has at least a million views on average and had been an instructor in one of the elite dance studios in the country.

SNSD’s Hyoyeon is Mai’s idol reference.

Shirofuku Yukie – Hails from the same agency as Kaori, and serves as the group’s other lead dancer and sub-vocal. The mukbang queen who is always seen eating in the background whether in behind the scenes videos or official videos, but she’s also the group’s chef and seems to be really knowledgeable about nutritional values of food and such.

Yukie’s idol reference is Twice’s Momo.

Amanai Kanoka – Kanoka is the group’s other rapper and dancer, is in charge of the height of the group as she’s the tallest member, with Alisa coming in second. Another representative for anything athletic as she used to play volleyball before she joined and trained to be an idol. Has a cute and undeniable crush on a famous rapper Ryuu, which she cites as her major inspiration (actually his song is what she used for her audition).

Sonamoo’s NewSun is my idol reference for Kanoka.

Yachi Hitoka – Yachi is the group’s maknae and is a dependable all-rounder despite being the youngest, although she’s mostly vocals and sometimes, sub-rapper. She’s the only daughter of a famous designer so she’s somehow known in that particular circle but she wanted to make a name of her own, so she decided to train as an idol. Has a good eye for design and has had a hand in designing the group’s official logo and some of their album covers.

Since I can’t choose, I have two idol references for Yachi: IZ*ONE’s Yena and Twice’s Dahyun.

BONUS:

Tanaka Saeko – I really wanted to include Saeko in the group, but she’s a league of her own and can’t be tamed so I just made her a rapper/soloist that has a girl crush, hip-hop concept/genre from the same agency that manages the activities of the group which basically means collaboration can happen. Elder sister of the rapper Ryuu, and they started out as a duo especially during their Youtuber days, but they both wanted to be able to stand on their own, so they signed independently from each other. Produces and writes most of her songs, and is also a skilled instrumentalist, particularly drums, and is adept with playing taiko.

Think of 2NE1’s CL, as she’s my reference for idol Saeko.

(Saeko-neesan be like: naega jeil jal naga~)

I’d really want their collab song to be 2NE1’s I Love You. I think that would be so rad.

Anyway, that’s it! There are more idol au HC’s here.

#haikyuu!!#haikyuu girls #headcanon #idol au

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mxupdate · 5 years ago

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[ARTICLE] Monsta X Breaks Down First All-English Album 'All About Luv,' Including a Special Song Dedicated to the Fans

Valentine’s Day is All About Luv, and that’s exactly what Monsta X is celebrating on their first-ever all-English language album, out today (Feb. 14).

Featuring several high-profile collaborations from Pitbull, French Montana, Steve Aoki, and Will.I.Am, the South Korean boy band’s latest is a pure blown pop album full of tracks that relay the emotions of romance, bolstered by lilting electro-pop and R&B melodies.

A divergence from the boisterous dance-oriented album they typically release in the South Korean music market, the focus on All About Luv is an overwhelming sense of sentimentality and smoothness.

Ahead of its release on V-Day, Monsta X’s members (Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney, and I.M.) broke down their new record, exclusively for Billboard. Check it out below.

1. "Who Do U Love? (Feat. French Montana)"

I.M: This song talks about how someone who’s in love can become very anxious to a point where it leads up to obsession.

Minhyuk: The song depicts a man consumed by jealousy, and this shows through the repetition of the lyrics, "Who do you love, Is it him or me," where he even makes a comparison to his competition.

2. "Love U"

Shownu: Two very famous producers [Andres Torres and Mauricio Rengifo], widely known for the song “Despacito,” produced this song for us. This song showcases the brighter aspects of love, the side that describes the exact moment where we fall in love with someone -- the moment we get "butterflies" by just looking at them.

Kihyun: I would like to recommend listeners to pay a little more attention to the lyrics, which will remind you of the last time you really fell in love.

3. "Happy Without Me"

Hyungwon: We believe that people who have experienced pain from unwanted breakups would strongly sympathize with this song, especially because of the lyrics. Missing your ex and faking your smiles to cover your pain is something that we might’ve gone through at some point in our lives. We tried to really emphasize the sadness and the stress that one goes through in order to move on.

4. "Got My Number"

All: This track is about the desperate measures that a man can take when they are in love with someone. Even if the person is taken, love will make you do things that you would never think to do. In this song you can see that the man is desperately trying to be there for the girl by saying, “You got my number! Look at me! I’m here and I will always stay here if you need me!”

5. "Someone’s Someone"

All: We really wanted to emphasize the harmony of our voices in this song, as we intended to dedicate this song to [our fandom] Monbebe. Being someone’s someone means a lot to both parties and we wanted to be Monbebe's someone.

6. "Middle Of The Night"

All: This track is solely based on the irresistible thoughts of regret after a break-up. Reminiscing through all the beautiful memories that you shared with your lover. Additionally, It also conveys the thought of what it could’ve been if things went differently.

7. "She’s The One"

All: Have you ever felt emotionally stuck to a point where you cannot stop thinking about someone? Knowing that you are messed up and constantly trying to recover, but it just doesn’t go as planned. This is a condition called “lovesick." Producer Noah Conrad, who has worked with many other K-pop artists, participated in making this amazing pop-sounding track.

8. "You Can’t Hold My Heart"

Joohoney: To me, the sound of the bass and drums from this track is what attracted me the most. I also like the lyrics because it is realistic, it shows how not all love lasts forever.

Minhyuk: Love and feelings can easily change..This harsh reality can be hard to face, but sometimes it is easier and better to accept the truth.

9. "Misbehave"

All: “Misbehave” is written based on the experiences that all of us encounter during a relationship. People often misbehave knowing the consequences that they will have to face. We justify these behaviors with the idea of love and comfort ourselves that it will be okay because we are not alone.

10. "Beside U (Feat. Pitbull)"

All: This song is based on the idea of obsession, as the lyrics emphasize on finding "you" and being beside "you," regardless of the whereabouts. The lyrics also show the negative and aggressive side of obsession -- [one can] get lethal when they can’t see the person they are obsessed with.

11. “Who Do U Love? (Feat. French Montana) (Will.I.Am Remix)"

Hyungwon: I think his remix is pretty addictive and gives extra spice to the original song.

#monsta x #200214 #t: interview #e: aal promo

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myremains · 4 years ago

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Lethal Injektion - Resurgence

Tracklist:

Trappers

Resurgence

Tomb of Roses

No Love

Overtime (Ft. Sincerely Collins)

Tidal Waves

Almost Human (Ft. Ricky Elam)

Udontkno

Live for Today

Call to Heaven

Lennon

Dead Celebrity

These guys are another great random Spotify find, which was encouraged by the fact the did a whole tribute covers album for their idols Linkin Park, from which it was clear that these guys were fucking incredible. 5 years into their career now, 4th full length record discounting their Linkin Park Covers album, Arizona’s Lethal Injektion are the phenomenal end result of an experiment in collaborative music. Their willingness to stamp hip hop and rap with rock and metal in their fullest is what really gives those old school LP vibes but more modern.

The first single they dropped that appears on the album was “Tidal Waves” back in 2019, for me the title really is reflected in the unpredictable nature of the sea and both the dangers and beauty it is able to produce, the clashing of tones and abruptness that fades to gentle paced soft verses really adds a bounce to the already clashing nature of the bands music. “Lennon” dropped next and this was a very special decision, it's an electronic and synth infused ballad for the most part with the piano interludes, however it does erupt into a huge sweet chorus with full accompaniment, a glorious way to showcase the other side of their range. “Live for Today” dropped third which sits between “Lennon” and “Tidal Waves” to give a brief insight into where the style sits, ominous presence with the higher pitched synth that sits in the backdrop with a steady beat which switched between your standard digital rap beat and a double bass blasting mental drum blast, it's mad just how much the screams truly stand a likeness against Chester Benningtons. “Tomb of Roses” has a lot of what I describe as Djent twangs over the rap which really slaps down a hard vibe, over what starts primarily as a good rap track, it’s about halfway through they allow the metal to step up it a big way. “Idontkno” was the last single to drop and it was one of those moments where you just instantly feel a song on the first listen, the rapid cycling in emotion, the build ups and the drops, the whole vibe generally feels tinged with sinister and dark elements but if you listen to the lyrical content that encompaces what they’re trying to convey perfectly. “Trappers” is the single I would have gone with if it was me, it's just one of the best songs on the record and the way the utilise the lyric “in the end” within the track is almost a fitting tribute to their biggest inspiration, you can really hear that influence in the breakdown. “Dead Celebrity” really highlights a pressing issue, people being cared for more when it’s already too late, very evil disguised as sweet sounding but it’s got that razor edge.

Linkin Park paved the way for these types of artists when they stomped their way through the charts with their unique distinctive brand of infused music, there are now thousands of bands approaching music this way, it blew open a new genre and era of music. Lethal Injektion were a random spotify find, but I say this with utmost confidence, they are one of the best - maybe even the best - find I’ve had to date, go check it!

[8/10]

#Lethal Injektion #Resurgence #Rap #Rock #Metal #Hip Hop #Linkin Park #Albums #Music #2020 #MyRemains #Reviews

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adateintime · 6 years ago

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Sorry if this has already been asked; where/how do you submit a portfolio for the artist application?

I would recommend making a long post on tumblr made to showcase your work, an imgur album, or a google drive folder, and then linking it to us in the form! We’ll go over it and discuss it privately.

-Mod Lethal

#a date in time #mod lethal #dev applications #anon #answers

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fy-kwoneunbi · 1 year ago

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221012 Kwon Eunbi at Lethality Album Showcase © mingssam do not edit, crop, or remove the watermark

#221012 #eunbi #kwon eunbi #lethality album showcase #f:mingssam

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happymetalgirl · 6 years ago

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The 60 Best Metal Albums of 2018

2018 was such a huge year for metal, and I know that every year is great for metal with the abundance of fantastic artists big and small out there, but this year felt so big to me, perhaps because of so much of what the music this year was the soundtrack to, but also for the sheer number of unexpected masterpieces. This year I reviewed 170 metal albums, not including the 15 I briefly talked about missing in 2017, which is more than the total number of albums I even listened to across all genres last year, which is weird because I have actually been busier this year than last. But I am rather pleased with how much more I was able to immerse myself into metal this year, at all levels of accessibility, and given the fact that the coming year might come with some changes and limitations to my output, here’s to 2018, and the 60 incredible albums (LPs and EPs alike) that captivated me this year.

Also, this should go without saying, but this is not just my opinion, these are objectively the 60 best metal albums of the year, and if you disagree, well then you’re wrong.

60. Coheed and Cambria – Vaxis – Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures

I was expecting to kind of tolerate this one at best, which is weird because I enjoyed the band’s last album quite a bit. But this album took me on such a little nostalgia ride through my adolescence and the music I enjoyed at that time in my life. I’m glad I got an album like this that can make me look back at that part of my life fondly, because God knows lots of other stuff makes me look back with a little bit of shame.

59. Harm’s Way – Posthuman

A fresh batch of lethal Chicago hardcore with a modern update, no bullshit, no nonsense, just punishing, crushing, proficient metallic hardcore that adds to the genre’s growing dominance within metal.

58. Unearth – Extinction(s)

I was so glad to hear Unearth put out an honest, classic metalcore album (with a few modern updates as well) instead of following so many of their peers into the clutches of radio rock pandering, and Extinction(s) is an excellent example of the punch the mid-2000’s style can still pack.

57. XavlegbmaofffassssitimiwoamndutroabcwapwaeiippohfffX – Gore 2.0

I’m amazed a comical grindcore album actually had the content to sustain an hour’s worth of songs, both playfully mocking and proficiently conjuring the absurdly gory brutality of the genre on a tremendous variety of creative tracks whose impossible-to-articulate lyrics are well worth reading along with.

56. Bloodbath – The Arrow of Satan Is Drawn

Even performing below their peak form, Bloodbath is a force to be reckoned with in death metal, and The Arrow of Satan Is Drawn is a fine representation of their continued mastery of the genre. The slight drop in chemistry due to their less frequent and consistent output since Mikael Åkerfeldt’s departure can be felt a bit on this project, but even so, it’s a crushing album that I am glad to have from them this year.

55. Jesus Piece – Only Self

An excellent debut from the hardcore freshmen, Only Self isn’t the most adventurous of hardcore albums, but it sure hits the nail on the head and makes up for its lack of novelty with fiery performances.

54. Chelsea Grin – Eternal Nightmare

It was a quiet year for deathcore, but not a bad one, as Chelsea Grin made a resounding comeback of sorts after their lackluster 2016 album. Eternal Nightmare finds the band seemingly taking noted from the likes of Carnifex and Fit for an Autopsy, who all trimmed the fat on their respective deathcore styles and modernized their sound to help them stand out more.

53. Deadspace – Mouth of Scorpions

Any EP that makes this list must be doing a lot right to surpass so many other albums, and the three songs Deadspace bring to this album are among their best, returning after their slightly disappointing LP last year, to the potent DSBM that drew me to them in the first place. The band have announced a new album for early next year, and this EP has me rather excited for it.

52. Summoning – With Doom We Come

With Doom We Come was definitely one of the most interesting pieces of folk metal I have heard in a long time, with Summoning taking their winding, cinematic, Tolkien-inspired ambient approach over the course of eight songs. I liked the way the band was able to transform he central motifs they based the songs around in interesting ways for the extended lengths they took.

51. Panopticon – The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness, Pt. 1

The heavier of the two discs from Panopticon’s double album this year showed Austin Lunn’s slight imbalance in his compositional strength when compared to his second, folk-driven disc.

50. Machine Head – Catharsis

I know a lot of people hated this album for Robb Flynn’s preachiness before and during the promo cycle and on a few moments on a few songs on the album, but honestly, it really wasn’t that preachy when you actually got into the lyrics, and there were a lot of good deep cuts on the album that I kept coming back to. As a pretty big fan of Machine Head, I do agree though, yes, this is rather subpar for them given we’ve been blessed with a string of truly tremendous albums over the past decade or so. But this album’s weakness lies not in its “SJW-ness” or Robb’s politics. It’s an album that shows the band’s creativity wearing thin, which makes sense in the wake of Dave and Phil leaving the band a few months ago. Catharsis sounds like a very natural progression from the diversity of the incredible Bloodstone & Diamonds, just an unfortunately watered-down version of that album. Nevertheless, I think there is enough quality on Catharsis to consider it a good album, even it will naturally be outshined by The Blackening, Burn My Eyes, and Bloodstone & Diamonds.

49. Impending Doom – The Sin and Doom Vol. II

Deathcore album of the year right here; Impending Doom came back after a relatively long break, sanded off the rust, and picked up where they left off with The Sin and Doom Vol. II, an album of straight-up early 2010’s-style djenty deathcore bangers.

48. Wreck and Reference – Alien Pains

This surprise, four-track EP showed a lot of Wreck and Reference’s experimental sides within black metal, as well as their proficiency at industrial rock on the two songs in the middle. It’s definitely a thirst-quenching appetizer for whatever their next album might be.

47. Innumerable Forms – Punishment in Flesh

One of my favorite debut releases, Punishment in Flesh was in many ways this year’s answer to Primitive Man’s Caustic, not a cheap rip-off of that project, but definitely one that carries a similarly pessimistic and relentlessly sludgy atmosphere, although much quicker and less drone-y than Caustic often got. It’s a great start for this band and one that has me eager to see where they take their sound next.

46. Frontierer – Unloved

The Car Bomb comparisons this album has been piled atop with are certainly warranted, though I’m not sure I’d say Frontierer show the same knack for groove that Car Bomb did on their 2016 album. Nevertheless, Unloved is a properly punishing and comprehensive mathcore album. At just under an hour, the band prove they can still hold attention spans with the sheer madness they harness.

45. Thou – Rhea Sylvia

This was the third EP to precede the release of Thou’s full-length album, Magus, this year. I enjoyed the grungy twist the band took on their signature sludge sound, especially on songs like “Deepest Sun” with some sorrowful vocal harmonies that hearken directly to Alice in Chains.

44. Holy Fawn – Death Spells

Holy Fawn take an incredibly beautiful and extremely nature-inspired approach to the sounds of ambient black metal on this album. It’s a truly welcoming and meditative album, and one that I think makes a great case for the lighter side of black metal.

43. Judas Priest – Firepower

Judas Priest came back with such an unbelievably powerful classic heavy metal offering this year, indeed a late-career masterpiece and one that proves how passionate and talented the band still are. It’s an album that showcases their expertise with the style without coming off as joyless exhibition.

42. Thou – Magus

Thou’s full-length album of 2018 is definitely their most well-produced and sonically pleasing release with the way everything from the down-tuned guitars to the drums and bass are allowed to shine simultaneously to best represent Thou’s signature sludgy doom. Compositionally it’s pretty on par with most of their work in this lane too, but it’s really an album more about the thick atmosphere than anything else, and that it certainly delivers.

41. Halestorm – Vicious

Definitely my favorite straightforward hard rock album of the year, this record has so many tightly composed rockers, and with such a tasteful note of heavy metal, I couldn’t help but repeat so many of the songs on here throughout the year. It’s a bit inconsistent, but when it’s high its really high.

40. The Body – I Have Fought Against It, But I Can’t Any Longer

Finally, after a few poor splits and collaborations that made me more irritated than hyped for their following full-length, The Body did pretty well on their new, focused LP. It’s in many ways The Body as usual, but with a few new twists that make it an interesting experience and not just a rehash of previous efforts.

39. Echo Beds – Buried Language

It was a good year for experimental black metal, and this one was one of my favorite pieces of it. Definitely in line with Wreck and Reference, this album takes a slightly more industrial approach than W&R usually do, and it is a thrilling, interesting listen all the way through.

38. Mamaleek – Out of Time

Speaking of experimental black metal, Mamaleek continues to push the genre’s boundaries into more hushed, folky territory that still retains the sinister quality of the genre, and this is probably their most comprehensive foray into the black metal unknown, yet they sound so comfortable and confident doing it.

37. Wayfarer – World’s Blood

Another American black metal release, World’s Blood is a more standard display of the style’s post-metallic power, though with a subtle Western flair itself. With five focused, well-constructed pieces, it’s a pretty engaging listen each step of the way, and one that does well to highlight its subtle differences from the rest of the ambient black metal crop.

36. Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love

And on the topic of American black metal, we have the fourth album from Deafheaven, one that I was a bit confused with at first but still ended up loving for its nice representation of the band’s brighter side. It’s an album that reminds me so much of the love I have for certain people and how unperfect, yet precious and beautiful it is.

35. Behemoth – I Loved You at Your Darkest

Along with Deafheaven’s new album, this was probably my most anticipated release of the year, and as much as I knew it was likely not going to outdo The Satanist, I was pleased with how well this album continued from where Behemoth left off on that album. Channeling the same grand, biblical style of blackened death metal the band had found their sweet spot in, it came with a bit odder experimentation, but not enough to sink the album. Overall, it’s a respectable follow-up to one of the best death metal albums of the new millennium.

34. Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals – Choosing Mental Illness as a Virtue

I like the angry death metal anarchy that Phil’s band conjures on this album. It and Phil’s unfiltered vocal aggression are a nice match for each other, and it makes for a wild ride all the way through. It’s definitely an album whose appeal is based on the rawness of its delivery, but it’s not just senseless cacophony; the band clearly know how to harness this type of death metal and let it rage on a long leash in their favor.

33. Keiji Haino & Sumac - American Dollar Bill: Keep Facing Sideways, You're Too Hideous to Look at Face On

This one is favorite collaborative release of the year with Keiji Haino and Sumac playing off each other’s respective styles so well, knowing how to ebb and flow within the waves the other creates, it’s a very noisy and odd release, but one that finds everything on here in such a complimentary form. I wish more collaborations in metal had this kind of well-worked chemistry between artists.

32. Of Feather and Bone – Bestial Hymns of Perversion

One of the year’s earlier and most punishing straight-up death metal releases, Bestial Hymns of Perversion is all meat, no fat, and such a quick, but ripping example of death metal at its rawest and most primal.

31. TesseracT – Sonder

As short as Sonder ended up being, I definitely found it to be a step up from Tesseract’s previous album, with the band doing well to craft the kind of shimmering progressive metal anthems that Daniel Tompkins can shine on.

30. Sumac – Love in Shadow

It was a good year for Sumac, coming through with a strong collaborative effort earlier in the year and then following up with their third LP. At only four songs, the album makes the most of the long time is has with each piece, and it’s one that I found myself coming back to so often throughout the year. I think the band outdid all their previous efforts, including their other collaboration this year.

29. Horrendous – Idol

Watching the evolution of Horrendous has been fascinating for the past several years, and seeing them transform into a fully-fledged progressive death metal juggernaut on Idol is one of the most rewarding sights to behold. The band channel raw, snarling growls and expert instrumental power on this album. The band still manage to retain their harsh, ugly roots, but pour that malice into a much more elegant form on this album, and I am definitely here for it.

28. High on Fire – Electric Messiah

It was a pretty big year for Matt Pike, and a major part of that was High on Fire’s follow-up to 2015’s Luminiferous. Taking a bit more of a proggy approach to their thrashy sludge metal worked out pretty well for the most part. It’s in many ways, High on Fire as usual, but also a more extensive application of their gruff, no-nonsense metal.

27. Portal – Ion

The wait between this album and their harrowing Vexovoid was well worth it as Ion captures the band’s most abysmal and spaciously apocalyptic sound in the form of chaotically collapsing technical death metal compositions that take a tremendous amount of listening to fully wrap one’s mind around.

26. Watain – Trident Wolf Eclipse

Watain’s long-awaited follow-up to The Wild Hunt finds them taking it back to basics in the shortest time frame yet, and as overshadowed as this album is likely to end up being next to albums like Sworn to the Dark and Casus Luciferi, it’s still a fiery piece of straightforward black metal that I have enjoyed all throughout the year.

25. Evoken – Hypnagogia

Definitely one of the most thrilling death/doom releases I’ve heard in a good while, Evoken go in for the long haul on this album and come through with a thick, well-cultivated atmosphere of gloom and remorse.

24. Thou – The House Primordial

This was he first-released EP leading up to Magus, and it did so well to concentrate Thou’s harsh black metal side into an interesting arrangement of songs that quickly establish a deep, sardonic atmosphere that takes that side of Thou to the extreme.

23. Thou – Inconsolable

The second EP of the three, and my favorite, is not really a metal album at all, but one whose sorrowful beauty I kept returning to. I love the vocal features the band brought on to give each of the moody, grungy songs on here a unique flair, and the band’s excellence with this softer style of music is incredible.

22. Architects – Holy Hell

One of the most triumphant metalcore albums I have heard in a long time, and one on which I think Architects managed to outdo themselves. Overcoming a crippling death to carry on with =, I think, their best album to date is certainly a feat to appreciate.

21. Sleep – The Sciences

This album took a while to grow on me, but grow it did, and I found myself enjoying and appreciating the thick walls of sound of a genre I had previously been apprehensive about. After finding the most fitting way to listen to this style of music, I can say now that I do enjoy myself some stoner metal.

20. Vein – Errorzone

Definitely one of the most punishing hardcore albums of the past few years, Errorzone is a bold amalgamation of nu metal and metalcore that takes the best of both worlds and smashes them together in an explosive array of violent noise that shoots Vein straight to the upper rungs of the genre.

19. Carnation – Chapel of Abhorrence

Another excellent debut album, Chapel of Abhorrence gave Bloodbath and Cannibal Corpse a run for their money with the dense brutality Carnation were able to conjure up on this album. Without any real notable weaknesses, this album is a tremendous opening statement for one of death metal’s most ambitious newcomers.

18. Polyphia – New Levels New Devils

This was such a fulfilling and unique math rock album that took the swagger of hip hop and made the band’s instrumental show-y-ness even cooler and flashier, elevating it above the autopilot mush of the style.

17. Hissing – Permanent Destitution

Another excellent debut album, this time channeling the experimental noisiness of black metal into a harsh, slightly industrially ambient experience that no other album has really ever captured before. It’s the kind of album that appears to be just standard abrasive black metal chaos on the surface, but the way the band work with so many different musical ideas and swirl them round so well o this album is what makes it so intriguing.

16. Imperial Triumphant – Vile Luxury

And on the topic of intriguing music, Imperial Triumphant come through with one of the most uniquely blues-y, jazzy incantations of death metal this year. Taking the eerie dissonance of traditional jazz and mashing it together with the apocalyptic sounds of death metal to convey the metropolitan filth of the Big Apple.

15. Andrew W.K. – You’re Not Alone

This whole album is the injection of positivity metal needed not just this year, but more of in general. While it’s on the borderline between hard rock and heavy metal, I still found it to be a refreshingly uplifting and encouraging set of songs that embody the type of positive outlook on life that I think needs more endorsement in heavy music. And of course, it opens with my song of the year, “Music Is Worth Living For”, which just perfectly captures my deep love and appreciation for music, which the rest of the album continues unashamedly.

14. A Perfect Circle – Eat the Elephant

Eat the Elephant was a lot softer in most parts than I and a lot of fans were expecting, but A Perfect Circle really proved that their return to music was really based on artistic inspiration and not financial desperation with the evolved and magnificently cohesive sounds they traversed on the album’s various tracks.

13. Infernal Coil – Within a World Forgotten

So many strong debut albums this year, and Infernal Coil’s was definitely one of my favorites. Channeling the heaviest side of Leviathan’s menacing and abysmal depressive black metal, Infernal Coil conjures a short, but enthralling experience on Within a World Forgotten. It’s one that I continually return to for its massive, abusive heaviness and one that makes me eager to see how Infernal Coil continue to shape their sonic identity in the years to come.

12. Obscura – Diluvium

As much as I like Obscura, I was surprised with how comprehensively thrilling Diluvium was. Wrapping up all the musical ideas that have enhanced the group’s progression through the years, the same band that made the stunning Akróasis return with clearly developed chemistry to expound upon their previous work

11. Ghost – Prequelle

It took bit of adjustment from what I usually enjoy about Ghost’s music to appreciate this one. It felt so off at first, but after a while the extra extra cheese melted over this album is really just the very essence of Ghost taken to such a campy and unpredicted extreme, and it is all executed so tactfully and brilliantly underneath the album’s fun externa.

10. Alrakis – Echoes from Eta Carinae

It’s one single song, but I chose not to include it on my top songs list because it would be redundant talking about it here too, and I did want to express its greatness in the context of its comparison to other albums. However, this song, unlike most extensive proggy epics, really is one long, sprawling piece that takes its time to push and pull and really swirl in a well-thought-out aura of ambient black metal that manages to stay fascinating all throughout its one-of-a-kind ride.

9. Anna von Hausswolff – Dead Magic

I know this one’s not really super metal, but the thick sets of horns, organ, and tom drum beating against the gothy appeal and dark ambiance Anna von Hausswolff constructs is something I have been enjoying so thoroughly this year, and for many of the same reasons I’ve enjoyed so much of the dark ambient metal on this list.

8. The Atlas Moth – Coma Noir

This was such a fulfilling album that captured the ascension of the band’s evolution beyond standard post-metal-flavored blackgaze and into a realm all their own. The grooves on here, the sludgy riffs, everything about this record from a stylistic and compositional standpoint was so satisfying as an elevation of the band’s sound.

7. Rivers of Nihil – Where Owls Know My Name

Such a breath of fresh air for technical progressive death metal and such an exponential continuation of growth for Rivers of Nihil, the pure emotion this album is album to pack into such an ordinarily soulless genre is something to behold and something I have loved relistening to all throughout the year. As nuanced as it is, it sacrifices nothing in the way of death metal brutality to get there.

6. meth. – I Love You

This has been by far the most criminally underrated debut by any band this year. Although only a five-song EP, the band showcase such a compelling excellence with the harsh, abrasive chaos they wrangle on here, mashing the harsh blackened noise of a band like Full of Hell with the whopping hardcore punch of the kind of metalcore pioneered by Converge and recently enhanced by groups like Code Orange. These few short songs are all such an incredible display of prowess with a bold blend of styles that makes meth. THE band to keep an eye on for future releases.

5. Revocation – The Outer Ones

Revocation quite possibly outdid their already phenomenal discography on this album with a shift in focus toward cosmic technical death metal while still maintaining a firm grasp on the thrash roots that have given their music the grounded appeal in delicious riffs and solos. The Outer Ones is such a tremendously technical yet tasty release, I have been so thoroughly enjoying it this year. I love all the delicious guitar work and tasteful bass on this album and of course the magnificent drumming too, it’s all so awesome. Hell yeah Revocation, hell yeah!

4. Gevurah – Sulphur Soul

After a strong enough debut in 2016, Gevurah made an even more emphatic perfection of their blackened death metal sound that rivals in-form Behemoth on this four-track EP. Somehow without simply aping the Polish giants’ sound, Gevurah manage to capture the grand carnal essence of albums like Evangelion and The Satanist in a few sharp pounders boiling with cultish aura to give the band’s ravenous death metal a sophisticated lining.

3. Zeal and Ardor – Stranger Fruit

I was completely and pleasantly surprised with the thoroughness and the quickness of the band’s remedying of the flaws the held Devil Is Fine back, while pushing their sound forward with confidence and justified assuredness into bold new territory, coming through with so many incredible and diverse songs. This was exactly what I wanted from Zeal and Ardor, and I’m amazed I got it so quickly after their debut last year.

2. Daughters – You Won’t Get What You Want

Such a hellish and truly terrifying comeback album that shatters expectations or boundaries set by the band’s previous work, this album has such a primal and theatrical appeal to it that really works its way deep into the psyche and exposes the darkness in all of us, which is catalyzed so fearsomely by the unreal harsh noise across the album that the band so neatly and meticulously weaves into their performances. This album really captures the darkness of the human condition and the degree to with civilization has enhanced, rather than mitigated it. I love this album; it’s like nothing else I have ever heard.

1. Khemmis – Desolation

My Twitter fed and my songs-of-the-year list definitely gave this away, but Khemmis’ third album, Desolation, is far and away the most perfect album I have heard since Gojira’s Magma in 2016, and definitely my favorite album of the year. This album is just dripping with catharsis at every step of the way, and I have not been able to resist it all year since hearing it. From start to finish, it is nothing but raw, emotive heavy metal with a somber doom edge that the band still manages to twist into something incredibly triumphant. I cannot give this album enough love. After sitting with it for so long this year, I can say it is undoubtedly an unprecedented improvement upon the already excellent Hunted, and one that established Khemmis as heavy metal’s most exciting new band.

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metalsongoftheday · 6 years ago

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Tuesday, October 9: Armored Saint, “In the Hole”

As John Bush himself put it, Delirious Nomad was far closer to the mark than the likable but anemic March of the Saint, but Armored Saint’s second record also exposed fault lines that would define much of the band’s discography, notably a strange sense of panic and lack of confidence. This was clear even on otherwise good tracks like “In the Hole”: Bush was already one of the best singers of his generation, and Gonzo’s drumming charged like a freight train, but something about the group’s sense of urgency felt a bit misguided. What saved the song from sounding like aimless hysteria was Max Norman’s metal-minded production and Bush’s staggering vocals, which cut through the frenzy with clarity and bravado, especially during the rousing final moments. Still, “In the Hole” showcased what was both right and wrong with Armored Saint in the mid ‘80s- it was well-written and played, and had a lethal throat at the helm, but it was also unsure of itself, and it would take another studio album, bad business and tragedy before they finally shed that last quality on the still-monumental Symbol of Salvation.

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strayframes · 7 years ago

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Jet Li - China’s Hero

By Sam Cave

Beijing, 1963. A child is born into poverty, the youngest of five. By two years old, his father has passed away. His family can’t afford meat, so young Lie Liajie is often hungry but never complains. When he is eight years old, his mother enrolls him in a summer course for martial arts. He shows a natural talent for Wushu, and his instructor takes notice. The boy attends a non-sparring Wushu event. Soon after, the instructor refers him to Wu Bin, coach for the Beijing Wushu Team. With his family’s permission, he is allowed to join. The coach takes a special interest in the boy, making him practice twice as hard as the other students. The criticism is harsh and constant, but he has good to food to eat and a sense of purpose that will help him to rise above his environment - China’s rocky crossroads between the Great Leap Forward and Mao’s cultural revolution.

A few years pass. Once a year the team is allowed to go to the movies. They watch Shaw Brothers and Shaolin five venoms, and sometimes Jimmmy Chang. One night the team gets to see a film called Fist of fury, Starring a westerner name Bruce Lee. the older boys love the film, and they clap and cheer, some of them smoking cigarettes and drinking rice wine. Their instructor chaperones hush them but also smile and laugh. Even as strict as the coaches can be, these boys need to blow off steam. The boy sits and watches the film, wide eyed. A friend passes him a Coca-Cola but he doesn’t notice. He is mesmerized by Lee Little Dragon’s screams and whoops, his speed and tempo. It is not so much Bruce Lee’s skills - the boy has seen Wing Chun and Southern Style Kung Fu before many times. It is the pauses, the stare, the speed with which he executes each maneuver. These are the things that a young Lie Lianjie would incorporate into his own fighting style, as the years ahead transformed him into the Martial Arts idol in known as Jet Li.

Asian cinema is a vast genre, with very different subsets. When I think of Japanese film, I picture ghost stories and bloody action like The Grudge or Battle Royale. Korea has the darkly comic revenge films of Chan Wook Park (Oldboy, Lady Vengeance). John Woo (Hard-Boiled) and Wong Kar Wai (2046, In The Mood For Love) both hail from Hong Kong. Historically, Mainland China’s identity in film has been firmly rooted in martial arts and Wushu-style historical epic tales. This makes sense, since the Wushu novels of writers like Jin Yong hold a place not unlike Tolkien in Chinese literary culture. Jet Li’s characters in Once Upon A Time in China, Fist of Legend and Fearless are based on real historical figures, and the China depicted in these stories is an honorable, decent place worth fighting for. The nationalistic message is often heavy-handed, but considering the China of twenty or thirty years ago, perhaps people needed to believe in not just heroes, but Chinese heroes.

I first discovered Jet Li when I saw Lethal Weapon 4. He played a silent martial arts villain with a ponytail who could dismantle a gun in seconds. His pre-combat stare was like nothing I’d ever seen onscreen before. It is his trademark - when he glares at his enemy he eminates both pure calm and pure danger. LW4 was Li’s first time crossing over into American films, after making over 30 movies in China since his debut in the 1980’s. Becore Jet Li started acting, there was an effort to find a successor to Bruce Lee, as evidenced by the early films of another Chinese martial artist, Jackie Chan. Chan was ten years older than Jet Li, and had been trained at the Chinese Opera. By Contrast, Li’s training focused purely on martial arts. He specialized in Wushu from the age of eight. Unlike Bruce Lee, who broke with Kung Fu tradition to establish his own style of fighting, Jet Li would become a Kung-Fu formalist. His trained at the Shao-Lin temple and spent years becoming an expert in Northern-style Kung Fu. Before the age of 10, Li won gold medals at the All China Games, and his team performed for Richard Nixon at the White House. According to Wikipedia:

he was asked by Nixon to be his personal bodyguard. Li replied, "I don't want to protect any individual. When I grow up, I want to defend my one billion Chinese countrymen!"

Jet Li would not be groomed as Chan was, to carry on Bruce Lee’s legacy. Too much time had passed and the industry had moved on from Bruce-sploitation and the legacy of Enter the Dragon. When Li first emerged in the 1986 film Shaolin Temple, his Northern Wushu and Tai Chi background was evident in every move, every trap, every aerial spinning kick. His fighting and performing style harkened back to old-school Kung Fu films by Shaw Brothers like Five Venoms and (bla).

…

The storyline of a typical Jet Li film goes something like this: A guy from mainland China (cop, soldier, fill in the blank) is tasked with the responsibility of protecting someone or exacting revenge for a dead master. He goes to Hong Kong, Japan or America, where his upstanding and honorable values are called into question by his new surroundings. There’s a girl, a villain, and much flying of fists and feet until finally the hero returns to China, happy to be home (in The Defender, he is killed and his body goes back to China).

After a few years as a supporting, utility player, Jet Li got the role of a lifetime playing Wong in Once Upon A Time in China. The film, directed by Tsui Hark, was a retro/throwback style historical epic with sharp cinematography and high-flying wire assisted wushu fight choreography and stunts. It was a leap forward for Hong Kong film, and spawned 3 sequels with Li reprising the main role. The films that followed could be described as Jet Li’s Hong Kong period. Fist of Legend, The Defender (also titled Bodyguard from Beijing), The Enforcer, Meltdown, Hitman, Tai Chi Master, Swordsman series. The list goes on.

Some of these movies showcased Li’s martial arts skills better than others. Sometimes he had guns, like Chow Yun Fat in Hard Boiled. Sometimes he had a kid sidekick or a love interest. One thing is for sure - playing in a Hong Kong action movie in the 90’s was not for the faint if heart. Cut-rate action techniques and low-budgets loaned themselves to accidents. The fighting was often full-contact. Actors could end up with a face full of glass from explosions. Still, the Beijing Wushu prodigy found his place amongst other martial artists like Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh, churning out epics, gangster films and cop dramas for audiences in Hong Kong (now hurtling towards its handover to the mainland) as well as the rest of Asia and beyond.

The only unfortunate aspect of Jet Li’s Chinese catalogue lies in the poor production values of most of these films. The overdubbed English is poorly translated, the action has a cartoonish quality and the characters are usually stock and cheesy. In other words, they are typical ‘Chop-Socky’ Kung Fu films made in the style of Bruce Lee’s catalogue, before the technical achievements of later films like Crouching Tiger, Hideen Dragon and Iron Monkey. There are some clear exceptions, such as the Once Upon a Time in China series, expertly directed by Tsui Hark and featuring another Kung Fu prodigy, Donnie Yen.

Because they were made before the age of DVD and HD, Li’s films could only be seen by Western audiences in rare Chinatown screenings in a few major cities. In the late 1990’s a new pop culture trend would change this pattern, and the trajectory of Li’s career – catapulting the Wushu prodigy from China to the United States. When Wu-Tang Clan first arrived on the American hip-hop scene in 1993, no one was prepared. Their albums were soundscapes comprised of hard-hitting verses, skits, and samples from Kung Fu and martial arts films. Along with Nas, DMX and others, Wu-Tang popularized Jet Li’s films by referencing him directly in their music. Li noticed, and his late 90’s output reflected this unlikely alliance. Black Mask, Romeo Must Die, and Cradle 2 the Grave featured Li’s action sequences cut to high-energy hip-hop. The films were successful, proving that Jet Li’s Wushu could be imported to the West.

Like Jackie Chan, Jet Li’s late 90’s crossover into Hollywood films was inevitable. It was a career move probably not based on financial need (he was already wealthy), but more based on the fact that he had outgrown the Hong Kong film scene. After his role in Lethal Weapon 4, he starred in a string of ambitious but fairly crappy vehicles like Romeo Must Die, Kiss of the Dragon, and Cradle 2 the Grave. These films, though largely panned by critics, served the purpose of greater exposure to US audiences and access to directors and filmmaker

In 2006, Jet Li announced his retirement from martial arts movies. The final entries into Jet Li’s martial arts catalogue, all made around this time, are easily the best. Hero, Unleashed, and Fearless are examples of bigger-budget Jet Li, not so different from his Chinese films but with an emphasis on acting and emotional content.

Hero is an epic historical tale in the style of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. In the film Li plays Nameless, an assassin tasked by an Emperor to eliminate those warriors perceived as threats to his his throne. Filmed in wild and beautiful colors with flawless cinematography, Hero is an example of contemporary Chinese cinema, and how much technical ground has been gained in the past 15 years. The film has been hopelessly replicated and borrowed from since its release in 2002, mostly due to its historical accuracy, dark tone and operatic fight sequences. It was at the time the most expensive mainland Chinese film ever made, and sits at the beginning of a trio of martial arts films by director Zhang Zimou, who before Hero was mostly known in art house circles for his dramatic collaborations with actress Gong Li.

The casting of Hero was an eclectic mix of non-martial artists and experts, with Jet Li (the mainland’s biggest star) in perhaps his biggest starring role to date. Donnie Yen, who at that time was still a supporting player, was brought in for the first fight scene. Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung, coming off the huge success of Wong Kar Wai’s In The Mood For Love, played the feuding lovers Broken Sword and Flying Snow. And Crouching Tiger’s Ziyi Zhang played Moon, the loyal servant. Leung and Cheung were both veteran Hong Kong actors, neither one from strictly martial arts but with 20 years of experience in all genres. Zhang came from a ballet background, and though she had a breakthrough performance in a Crouching Tiger, her martial arts skills were limited. Jet Li recognized her talent and mentored her on set, and joked about his short legs being the reason for his never trying ballet. It made sense for Li to reach out to the younger Zhang, also from the mainland and twenty years his junior. For so long he himself had been the young Wushu prodigy, but now at over 40 years old he was sliding into an elder-statesman role.

The action sequences in Hero used wires extensively - not just as a tool to exaggerate aerial jumps and spins but to make the characters fly and soar the air, dreamlike and surreal. This deliberate wire choreography may have been influenced by The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, but Hero has its own sort of Cecil B DeMille outrageousness to it that is totally out of balance with the serious tone. In fact, Hero is almost weighed down by its own sense of gravity, and is sometimes unintentionally funny when it’s adding more and more layers to each action sequence. (Arrows). It is here that Jet Li is the films saving grace. His sense of form, toughness and his skill not just as a martial artist but as an actor corrects the balance. When Li extends both arms in front of his face and slides his sword back into its sheath with a resounding and satisfying ‘click’, the film resets itself and we, the audience are given a break from the proceedings.

Unleashed raises a poignant question: can a man who has been reduced to an animal find salvation? In this film Jet Li plays Danny, a childlike soul with violent tendencies, trained since childhood to fight and kill on demand. His aggression is symbolized by a metal collar, which is controlled by his brutal ‘master’. Li is passive until the collar comes off, at which time he becomes an attack dog, dispatching his opponents in a flying, screaming rage. Unleashed is pure pulp, but it is elevated by the presence of Morgan Freeman (as Danny’s kind savior), and by Jet Li’s performance. Danny is a kid, full of wonder and innocence, but unable to escape the violence that has defined his existence. Li plays it with subtle, quiet emotion and dignity. The action in Unleashed is as usual exciting and well mounted, choreographed by longtime collaborator Yuen Woo Ping. There are even some darkly funny moments, like when Danny kills an opponent with one poke to the Adam’s apple. Yikes.

Fearless is an atypical Chinese martial arts film, because it shows the hero as lacking virtue (at least for the first half of the film). Li plays Huo Yuanjia, Godfather of Wushu and undefeated champion of Tianjin. After murdering a rival in the ring, the rival’s disciple takes revenge and kills Huo’s family. In his grief, Huo goes into exile and lives amongst simple farmers. Finally he returns home, humbled but also disgusted by the imperialist influx of foreigners taking over China. He begins to fight again, but this time for the honor and reputation of China – essentially for China’s place in the world. His final fight before dying from poisoned tea is against Tanaka, a Japanese samurai. It is worth noting that the Japanese occupation is a common theme amongst Chinese and Korean films. Both countries suffered under Japan at different times, and in the world of Fist of Legend and Fearless (two parts of the same story) the scars are still fresh. Fearless is actually titled Jet Li’s Fearless, and this film finds the actor back in his comfort zone of pure Wushu action and Chinese history. Where in Fist of Legend he reprised Bruce Lee’s performance in Fist of Fury as Chen Zheng, student of Huo Yuanjia and avenger of his master’s death, Li gets to play the master himself. Fearless is a mainland production, not as artsy as Hero and more in the vein of Once Upon a Time in China.

In the wake of Bruce Lee’s untimely death, the martial arts world was fractured. In the West, Karate was gaining speed and this popularity gave actors like Chuck Norris (a contemporary of Lee’s) and Jean-Claude Van Damme

It would seem the sun has set on Jet Li’s career. He left his audience wanting more, and with Disney hinting that he might return to his martial arts roots in Mulan, there may be more to see. In his personal life, Li occupies the rare position of the a mainland Chinese with wealth, who, now living in Singapore, is somewhat beyond the reach of the communist government. As a devout a Buddhist he has in fact visited the Dalai Lama (while making sure to voice his belief in a united China). He

So, the question remains. What is your favourite Jet Li movie? And why does Jet Li Matter? In the opinion of this humble critic, Jet Li Matters because China matters. Mainland China needed a hero during times of extreme transition, when the Western idea of the Middle Kingdom was that it was a place that manufactured plastic trinkets. Audiences got used to Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, and yes, Jackie Chan - as the heroes of Shao Lin or daring Beijing Police detectives, fighting their way through low-budget films made by an industry trying to keep up with the world, yet not afraid to have some fun in the moment. I still have only seen a handful of the original Jet Li movies, and so my perception of his work is top-heavy, weighed down by the performances from the end of a unique and amazing career. But what performances they are: Danny the Dog sitting next to Morgan Freeman at the piano, trying to find the courage to say his own name. Nameless and Flying Snow deflecting a sea of arrows with their swords, weightless in the air above a temple. And finally Huo Yuanjia, in the last moments of his life and with poison coursing through his veins, finishing his battle against Tanaka, Japan, Imperialist Britain, and himself. Jet Li Matters.

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horrorpaingoredeath · 4 years ago

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Up now for pre-order, coming May 14th! SOLANUM "Ruled By The Cruel" CD :: http://bit.ly/solanumcd Digital :: https://ffm.to/solanum T-Shirt :: http://bit.ly/solanumshirt T-Shirt + CD Bundle :: http://bit.ly/solanumbundle Solanum return to Horror Pain Gore Death Productions with new album "Ruled By The Cruel"! Hailing from the frozen prairie wasteland that is Winnipeg, Manitoba, Solanum execute crippling Canadian crossover Thrash that is full of intrinsic power and relentless attitude. "Ruled By The Cruel" is the second full length album from Solanum and showcases nine tracks of vicious, thrashing madness that features lyrical themes focused on the never ending, worldwide suffering and savagery... prepare for total annihilation! For fans of Aftermath, Broken Bones, D.R.I., Excel, Lethal Aggression, Ludichrist, Nuclear Assault, Razor, Sacred Reich, Sacrilege B.C., Vio-lence and Wehrmacht #solanum #ruledbythecruel #crossover #thrash #thrashmetal #aftermath #brokenbones #dri #dirtyrottenimbeciles #excel #lethalaggression #ludichrist #nuclearassault #razor #sacredreich #sacrilegebc #violence #wehrmacht #hpgd #horrorpaingoredeath (at Horror Pain Gore Death Productions HQ) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNnK-hIpln5/?igshid=1r1kfg5ujc2ow

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gigsoupmusic · 5 years ago

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Albums of the Year: Slowthai 'Nothing Great About Britain'

Since Trump was elected three years ago, there’s been overwhelming kickback from the music industry. Its voices have almost unanimously responded unfavourably, channelling despondency and outrage directly through their cultural production. The case has been carried over into the UK, after we too wrote the next chapter of our history by voting to leave the EU earlier the same year. Accordingly, our products have also been the mouthpiece for anti-establishment rhetoric, in everything from rock to punk, hip-hop to grime. It’s therefore hardly unique to put out something as incendiary and disillusioned as Nothing Great About Britain, no matter how warranted the hyperbole is. But it’s the manner in which Slowthai’s debut plays out that shows how it’s clearly not limited to just this. It’s the effortless fluctuation between the personal and the political, between trauma and fury, the balance of retention and responsibility, of social commentary and autobiography, the distinct fusion of punk, industrial and hip-hop. The Northampton rapper (born Tyron Kaymone Frampton) has covered the amount of ground most artists might in two or three full-length projects. So it’s unsurprising that his album remains one of the year’s highlights, even seven months after release. The twenty-five-year-old’s personality is all over it. There’s humour in abundance, a real sense of play that disguises an impassioned core. ‘Gorgeous’ includes an outro detailing a memory of Frampton’s stepdad taking him to a West Brom-Liverpool football game as a young child. In it, the misinterpretation of whether the home or away team is listed first on the written fixture results in travelling to the wrong end of the country. The album is full of such anecdotes – earlier in the same track he discusses everything from “push-bikes” to “Yu-Gi-Oh! cards.” As listener, we’re somewhat unrestricted in terms of the thoughts, feelings and memories we have access to. Inevitably, these are not always so innocent. ‘Northampton’s Child’ in particular delves into Frampton’s troubled upbringing, including the death of his one-year-old brother in 2001. Here he also talks about being the product of a teenage pregnancy, and on ‘Peace of Mind’ recognises the need to “thank Mum for the 23 years she wiped my arse.” But as with the tragedy he has had to move on from, this too must make way for the next chapter in his life: “Thank you Ma, now I’m gone.” This transition from home to the bigger world is at the centre of Nothing Great About Britain. From the beginning, Frampton is broadening the outlook and commenting on the current politics of the country he so brazenly claims there’s nothing great about. After a brief intro, the title track’s wild instrumental kicks in and Frampton brings a “Bottle of Bucky in Buckingham Palace.” Percussion and strings percolate around him as he moves on to the “coppers from Scotland all the way down to Dagenham”, both a reference to London’s Scotland Yard and the recent influx of Scottish police there in order to tackle knife crime. The commentary is frank and urgent, reporting on contemporary issues from the ground, where the country can be seen in all its pride and shame, from national team football shirts marked by “Three Lions” to the “EDL, real English boys.” But the focus isn’t exclusively now, as we realise when Frampton acknowledges those who got “stabbed with the Phillips”, a screwdriver commonly used as an improvised weapon in 1950s East London. The struggle underpinning the storytelling is both national and historic; Frampton uses his twenty-five years and hometown as a platform to widen the scope and bring in issues outside of both. ‘Dead Leaves’ for example employs metaphor to talk about a more universal sense of generational stagnancy. ‘Inglorious’ explores Frampton’s experience of racism, as well as the accusations of appropriation he’s received. They came from people who made assumptions based on his appearance, clearly lacking the basic initiative required to look up his background. But such gravity is never lingered on for long, because the ostensive mission statement is to talk about other people as much as himself: “See, you judge me on my appearance, face value, innit / Don’t know about the tax bracket / But I know that I’m teabaggin’ your favourite mug, hahaha.” Frampton broadens the issue – bringing in tax brackets, making it systemic – and then undercuts its seriousness by being playful. The child in Frampton is never far from the surface, and he willingly lets it out on various occasions. The title track’s outro becomes a mock conversation between Kate Middleton and the Queen, culminating with a famously expletive description of the latter. Demonstrating similar invincibility when it comes to talking about his peers, Frampton plays with the kind of arrogance he can get away with as one of grime’s new poster boys. He discards Dizzee Rascal on the title track (who some critics have actively comparedhim to), Lethal Bizzle on ‘Grow Up’, as well as Wiley on ‘Missing’. There are further references to Kanye and Kendrick on bonus tracks ‘Drug Dealer’ and ‘Rainbow’, highlighting Frampton’s awareness of the American scene he went on to have specific involvement in (having appeared on tracks with BROCKHAMPTON and Denzel Curry later in the year). The outward look is perhaps symptomatic of the globalisation of grime more generally, spearheaded by the breakthrough of Stormzy. Frampton’s faux antagonism of the previous generation is somewhat undone by the Skepta feature on ‘Inglorious’. It seems, therefore, to return us back to the idea of playfulness. He also wishes to incorporate other genres and merge them with his own, rather than confine himself to it. The Mura Masa produced ‘Doorman’ is a clear indicator, with its experimentation of punk and industrial rock providing the aggression and adrenaline. The production on ‘Gorgeous’ is equally interesting, structured around piano loops that tease the even more graceful and down-tempo ‘Toaster’ to come. As seems apt for a project so preoccupied with thematic uncertainty, Frampton often changes pace and atmosphere concurrent with any sonic shifts. Yet the bigger image remains one of structured chaos. There’s a clear, designated receiving end for the album’s message of discontent, as its messenger has reiterated in the months since its release. It was at its most confrontational in the Mercury Prize performance featuring the Prime Minister’s severed head. As a cultural moment, this seems to stand alongside the reverberations of “Fuck Boris” around the Glastonbury fields during Stormzy’s headline set. Since that summer, Stormzy has released an album, been featured in the National Gallery, and impacted the recent general election, showcasing just how forcefully (and vitally) music can evolve into activism. Slowthai’s debut has come two years after the Croydon rapper’s, so only time will tell if he can emulate such sheer cultural value. Regardless, as both a protest and the epoch encapsulated, Nothing Great About Britain outdoes itself, promising a very bright future for its creator. Read the full article

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