Deftones - Koi No Yokan


Released: 13 November 2012
Label: Reprise
Returning stronger than before after their tumultuous 2008 incident with their comeback Diamond Eyes(2010), Deftones brings forth their most defining and daring efforts yet in Koi No Yokan.

Loosely translated as "the sense upon first meeting a person and knowing that the two of you are going to fall in love", Koi No Yokan crushes and embraces all at the same time with beautiful soundscapes in Entombed and Rosemary to infinite intensity in tracks such as Goon Squad and Gauze.

 Opening track Swerve City makes it clear that Deftones are back and they're not just trying to please everyone this time around. Laced with crushing riffs from Stef and the entry into a dreamy chorus where all the instruments seem to unite, it is the perfect precursor to the next track. 

 With awkward love ballad Romantic Dreams, it just makes you wonder if all love songs should start sounding like this. Revolving around Chino's signature wails and Abe's unconventional drumming that keeps spiralling out of control, you begin to realise that the band are definitely riding on a real creative high.
Tracklist:

1. Swerve City
2. Romantic Dreams
3. Leathers
4. Poltergeist
5. Entombed
6. Graphic Nature
7. Tempest
8. Gauze
9. Rosemary
10. Goon Squad
11. What Happened To You?

 First single Leathers is the closest resemblance to anything reminiscent from Diamond Eyes. Desperate shrieking from Chino and the ever-expanding drumline presents the track's subject matter of leaving anything and believing in yourself in the face of adversity all the more convincing and emotional. Personally, I can't wait to see this track being played live and having my mouth water uncontrollably.

Like a real spiritual entity, Poltergeist enters with an obscure sampled clap beat track that almost had me reeling back and thinking whether will this one of those tracks that I won't listen to again. However, that's where I'm wrong when suddenly the beastly 8-string destruction enters and makes this track all the more enigmatic and appealing, and on retrospect, it's pretty much the concept that Koi No Yokan has going on for the whole album.



Clocking an impressive 52 minutes in total, Koi No Yokan keeps growing on you with album staples Leathers, Tempest, Rosemary and Gauze. There's very little space where it feels like the album is just trying to make do and create an easily-digested radio hit single because everything in this album will impress you on different levels.

 Guitar riffs run amock with spacey synth overload, fuzzy basslines agreeing with the unforgiving drumming, Koi No Yokan is a true aural delicacy if you crave original and uncompromised music. Clearly one of 2012's greatest releases.

Writer's fave: Rosemary, Gauze, Tempest & What Happened To You?

7 out of 7 sins

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ISIS Releases Album Artwork and Tracklist.

Seminal Post-metal band, ISIS, will be releasing a collection of their rarities, b-sides, demos and unreleased tracks on November 6. The new collection will be called Temporal and it will include tracks that spans throughout their 13 years.


Track listing:

CD1

  1. Threshold of Transformation (Demo)
  2. Ghost Key (Alternate Demo Version)
  3. Wills Dissolve (Alternate Demo Version)
  4. Carry (Demo)
  5. False Light (Demo)
  6. Grey Divide (Demo)

CD2

  1. Streetcleaner (Godflesh cover)
  2. Hand of Doom (Black Sabbath cover)
  3. Not in Rivers, But In Drops (Melvins/Lustmord remix)
  4. Holy Tears (Thomas Dimuzio remix)
  5. Temporal (Recorded in 2009)
  6. Way Through Woven Branches
  7. Pliable Foe
  8. 20 Minutes/40 Years (Acoustic)


Temporal will also include a DVD of their music videos, from the likes of In Fiction to the unreleased Pliable Foe.

0 confessed:

Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral Review

Released: February 6, 2012
Label: A4D

1.    The Gravedigger's Song
2.    Bleeding Muddy Water
3.    Gray Goes Black
4.    St. Louis Elegy
5.    Riot in My House
6.    Ode to Sad Disco
7.    Phantasmagoria Blues
8.    Quiver Syndrome
9.    Harborview Hospital
10.  Leviathan
11.  Deep Black Vanishing Train
12.  Tiny Grain of Truth
Former Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan returns after 2004's release Bubblegum. Once again teamed up with producer Alain Johannes,  Blues Funeral is another respected Blues Rock work of  art with Lanegan's distinctive baritone vocal collaboration with familiar artists such as Josh Homme and Greg Dulli. You might know him for his work with Queens of the Stone Age back in 2000's release of Rated R. His rough scratchy vocals beats the idea of every anti-smoking campaign and puts the attractiveness on this old man. He is one of those vocalist that you'll either love or hate. I don't think there is a chance for an in between.

The bass intro thumps into the first track and single, "The Gravedigger's Song" as a clear-cut Lanegan track similar to his previous works with the Queens of the Stone Age. A slightly mellower following track, "Bleeding Muddy Water", is not a lyrically complex song but musically, as a whole, this album does some justice. Lanegan's collaboration as a band with Greg Dulli in The Gutter Twins was one of the best work he did, and they're often back together doing a track or two. Dulli did a brief appearance on "St. Louis Elegy" and even though the collaboration was just a simple backup vocal, it would serve as the icing on the cake for me as it is for most fans. Much similar to "Riot in My House" which features former bandmate Josh Homme on guitars. Most people anticipates this moment be it with Homme's own band or Lanegan's.


Halfway through, the tracks start to get less organic as electronics begin to take form as the backbone to the tracks, especially for "Ode to Sad Disco". Lanegan has accomplished a new direction on electronics for the first time with this daring approach. The synthesizers and drum machines are still quite subtle as compared to the conventional instruments that he normally uses even though at times it gets brought out to the forefront in the music. "Tiny Grain of Truth" is another example of an Electronic track with a subtle addition of guitars.

The album is musically very appealing and a job well done for Lanegan. His vocals are one of the reasons why I would continue to listen to Mark Lanegan Band, but it is also because this guy knows how to put on an excellent performance despite the slow moody feel of his music.

Recommended tracks: "The Gravedigger's Song", "Riot in My House" & "Ode to Sad Disco".

5 out of 7 sins

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The Prodigy Reveals Upcoming Album Title





After the upbeat Invaders Must Die (2009), The Prodigy's Liam Howlett has exposed the title of the new album. How To Steal A Jet Fighter will be a darker and heavier album as compared to their 2009 effort according to Liam.


New tracks will be performed live at Download 2012.


0 confessed:

Davey Havok Mentions New Album for Blaqk Audio

Well, I don't think I'm the only one excited over this. So here's a video (thanks to ArtisanNewsService) with the short interview.


Here's hoping that what he means by more pop is actually more like the debut album and that's all fine by me.

0 confessed:

††† (crosses) - EP †† Review

Released: January 24, 2012
Label: Self-released

Building up on the creative explosion from previous EP, ††† (consisting of Deftones' Chino Moreno and collaborators, Shaun Lopez and Chuck Doom) brings forth another set of tracks that revolves around the same dark, electronic ambience present from their debut EP.


Tracklist:
  1.  Fron†ier
  2.  Prurien†
  3.  †elepa†hy
  4.  †rophys
  5. 1987
With little to none known about the members of this project other than their prolific vocalist, ††† took me by surprise with their ambience-filled electronic mood music in their first  EP (EP † , August 2, 2011). Being really impressed by the first offering, the second EP was a no-brainer for me to dig into. However, the mood of the tracks in EP †† is a little more darker and moodier than the pretty upbeat first release.


Fron†ier is a great opening track with its sporadic drum beat and changes in tempo and the almost unforgettable melody line for the vocals. Showcasing a mix of spacey guitar soundscapes and synths that engulf you in this delectable aural journey, it is definitely an appetiser for the rest of the EP. Next track, Prurien† is pretty much the same as the Fron†ier but things really start to pick up with my personal favourite and third track, †elepa†hy. With its almost-impossible-to-hate chorus, catchiness and thumping bass line, it is difficult to not love this track. It is such a shame that it all ends too soon to be succeeded by minimalistic †rophys and the finale, 1987.

From left: Chino Moreno (vocals), Chuck Doom and Shaun Lopez (producer/guitarist)

With two EPs released, ††† have nothing else but an LP to release to satisfy fans though personally I would prefer it goes the same way as the first EP cause as good as EP †† is, I realise I will always find myself going back to the debut for my dosage of †††.

And on a little side note, Chino has now joined members of legendary Post-Metal group, ISIS, to create Palms. Now that would be something very interesting, especially to me.

EP †† can be bought at crossesmusic.com.

5 out of 7 sins

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Graham Coxon - A+E Review

Release: April 2, 2012
Label: Parlophone Records

After surviving the fall of Britpop and his departure from Blur, Graham Coxon still stays strong with a solo career. He has been called by ex-Oasis guitarist and Battle of the Britpop rival, Noel Gallagher as "the greatest guitarist of his generation". Coxon now releases his eighth album, titled A+E.

Tracklist:

1. Advice
2. City Hall
3. What'll It Take
4. Meet And Drink And Pollinate
5. The Truth
6. Seven Naked Valleys
7. Running For Your Life
8. Bah Singer
9. Knife In The Cast
10. Ooh, Yeh Yeh
Coxon first released his solo album back in 1998, while still with his chart-topping band, Blur. Since his debut solo album, a lot of changes has been made as Coxon explores with different styles and sounds throughout his discography. I remember when I first heard of his debut (The Sky Is Too High), I felt a bit disappointed compared to his work with Blur. It wasn't a pop album as compared to what Blur used to make and his works were really different and unexpected. He is then known to use his solo works to produce less popular music.

First listen to A+E might make you think that it sounds like any other typical Indie album. Judging too quickly won't get you an accurate view on this new release. "City Hall" has an identical drum intro to the Foo Fighter's "All My Life". Coincidence, aye? Just as soon as the next instrument comes in, you don't hear the similarities any more. The first single, "What'll It Take" is a minimalist Indie-Electro track with repeated lyrics. The track is catchy but doesn't specifically have a deep impact. With that being said, I think the intention of the song is just to make you dance with lyrics being sung "What'll take to make you people dance". To be honest, Coxon's not very into writing really complicated lyrics in this album. "Meet And Drink And Pollinate" is also a pretty fun and dancey track to listen to. The song started out slow but halfway through it'll make you clap along to it. After the previous two tracks, "The Truth" is slightly slower paced but it won't bore you. The track was first released as a free downloadable song before the album was released. "Running For Your Life" is a piss and moan hate song, indicating some dislike in its lyrics with more fast crunch distorting guitars.

A more experimental track, "Knife In The Cast" is by far the darkest song written its haunting distorted guitars with the echoing of his vocals sent shivers down your spine. "Ooh, Yeh Yeh" is the second track to release a video and it reminds me of Mark Lanegan somehow. Drumming style is very interesting in this and it's the most different style of music compared to the other tracks in the album. Some might call it old school or even sounds like The Beatles.


Overall, A+E makes a stance in the Indie world and a worthy album leaving you wanting more from this Brit icon. He is also notable for playing all instruments in his solo work. If this is your first encounter with Graham Coxon, you'd probably want to check out the rest of his work, but beware, he is not your average indie musician and he will make every album different from the other. So, listen with an open mind.


Recently released in April, Graham has been touring across the UK to promote his album and also preparing for the Olympics performance in August with what is possibly Blur's last gig of this reunion.

5 out of 7 sins

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Hurts - Happiness Deluxe Edition Review

Released: October 31, 2011
Label: Major Label, RCA

Theo Hutchcraft and Adam Anderson were once nobodies. Unemployed and only working on their previous band, Daggers, the duo has had hard times on the dole. Those tough four years has finally led them to disband with the other members of Daggers and out came Hurts. With a home made video spread across the YouTube world, Hurts made their first big break with "Beautiful Life" and soon after signed to a major label. Having been compared to the likes of Depeche Mode and Tears For Fears, Hurts is your guilty pleasure to love 80s Synthpop all over again.


Tracklist:
CD:
1. Silver Lining
2. Wonderful Life
3. Blood, Tears & Gold
4. Sunday
5. Stay
6. Illuminated
8. Better Than Love
7. Evelyn
9. Devotion
10.Unspoken
11.The Water
12. Verona
13. Affair
14. Happiness
15. Mother Nature
16. Confide In Me
17. Sunday (Demo)
18. Devotion (Demo)
19. All I Want for Christmas is New Year’s Day

DVD:
Hurts - Live In Berlin:
1. Silver Lining
2. Wonderful Life
3. Happiness
4. Blood Tears and Gold
5. Evelyn
6. Sunday
7. Verona
8. Unspoken
9. Mother Nature
10. Devotion
11. Confide in Me
12. Illuminated
13. Stay
14. Gloomy Sunday
15. Better Than Love

Music videos:
1. Blood Tears & Gold
2. Wonderful Life (original)
3. Better Than Love
4. Wonderful Life
5. Stay
6. Sunday
7. Illuminated
8. All I want for Christmas is New Year’s Day
I know you are probably wondering why a Pop album is being featured on puresinner, but this is something really worthy for me to comment on as an alternative listener. Happiness was first released in September 2010 and did really well with six other singles. This debut album has earned them a worldwide tour including Singapore and Malaysia. Every track in the album is composed in an alluring and depressing melody and no doubt all of them could sell as singles. They even hit it with a track with Kylie Minogue titled "Devotion". Hurts' sad lyrics about love and women made it deeply emotional combined with the piano, synthesizers, strings, and haunting backing vocals. This deluxe edition has added seven additional B-sides to the CD and a DVD with a live show from Berlin and all of their music videos to date. There's even a dark appeal to the live shows. The intro to their show mimics an elegy in despair and female dancers clothed in black lace and gloomy make-up really gives me an idea that they were actually going for a Goth look.

The band commented that they wrote these songs when they were in a bad time, when they were unemployed, and almost giving up on music. Now that they have achieved a place in the music industry, I'm not too sure how their next album will sound like. The additional songs included in this edition, "Affair", "Happiness" and "Mother Nature" are quite a disappointment. They lost quite a lot of the good sounds compared to the original track list.

Overall, all I can say is this is a really good album for Synthpop fans (minus the additional tracks) and if you missed your chance to catch them on tour, the live DVD inside this deluxe edition will serve you well.

Theo Hutchcraft & Adam Anderson

If there is one pop album you want to be proud of listening to, Happiness  is what you need. While you're at it, listen to their cover of Falco's "Jeanny" here: http://youtu.be/TM927ly20vs.

Recommended tracks: "Silver Lining", "Illuminated", "Stay" and "Unspoken".

6 out of 7 sins

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