METALUX AND JOHN WIESE - EXOTERIC (LOAD 082)

A COLLABORATIVE RECORD BETWEEN NOISE DUO METALUX AND LA-BASED NOISE ARTIST JOHN WIESE, A FEATURE OF THE DIY/NOISE SCENE SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL.

THIS IS WAY MORE INSCRUTABLE THAN THE OTHER METALUX ALBUM I REVIEWED ON HERE AND I HAVE TO SAY NOT AS GOOD. I FEEL LIKE IT IS A SATISFYING ATTEMPT TO BE WHAT IT IS TRYING TO BE (A PROVOCATIVE EXPLORATORY MUSIC/PERFORMANCE PIECE CUT ARBITRARILY INTO 'SONGS') AND THERE ARE SOME REALLY GOOD TONES AND MOODS. BUT I GUESS THAT ISN'T ENOUGH, AND AFTER THE THIRD GURGLED VOCAL OVER ANALOGUE SYNTH MISFIRING, I STARTED TO LET THE WHOLE THING SEEP OUT OF MY EARS AS SOON AS IT WENT IN.

I CAN SEE A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY AN ARTIST MIGHT NOT WANT TO LEAD WITH THEMSELVES IN A PROJECT AND LET THE MUSIC DO THE TALKING. BUT THIS RENDERS IT LIKE A ROCKFACE WITH NO TOEHOLDS. HOW DO I START CLIMBING, I WONDER? DO I WANT TO START CLIMBING? WHAT IS THE POINT IN FUCKING CLIMBING I WONDER AFTER TRACK 4. AND SO ON.

KITES - PEACE TRIALS (LOAD 081)

YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THAT I DID NOT LIKE THE LAST RECORD BY KITES, AWARDING IT A 'RATED: RANCID' MARK AND IT BEING THE ONLY LOAD RECORDS RECORD THAT I HAVE DEIGNED TO REVIEW TRACK-BY-TRACK IN ORDER TO DIAGNOSE ITS FESTERING SHITTINESS. I EVEN LISTENED TO IT AGAIN IN A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT TO CHECK I WAS RIGHT AND I WASN'T: THE ALBUM WAS EVEN WORSE.

I SUPPOSE THIS ONE IS BETTER. IT'S STILL ECLECTIC, CHANGING GENRE FROM TRACK TO TRACK, BUT THE NOISE TRACKS ARE MORE OBVIOUSLY LIKE PRURIENT AND RECOGNISABLE FIGURES FROM THE MID-00S HARSH NOISE SCENE. AND THE SONG-ISH INTERLUDES ARE LIKE SOMEONE APPROXIMATING THE SCARRED DETACHMENT OF SOMETHING LIKE XIU XIU OR COIL ON A BUDGET. BUT NOT AS GOOD.

THERE'S A MODISH ANTI-BUSH/USA TRAIT THAT RUNS THROUGH THIS THAT SIGNALS THE TIME IT WAS MADE (NOT A CRITIQUE; LIGHTNING BOLT AND USAISAMONSTER HAVE BOTH DONE THIS ON GOOD RECORDS). ASIDE FROM THAT IT REALLY IS AN ANNOYING BUNCH OF FUCKING TOSS. SHAME BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE BEST ARTWORK ON THE LABEL.

RATED: RANCID.

WIZARDZZ - HIDDEN CITY OF TAURMOND (LOAD 080)

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE BIRMINGHAM-BASED CHRISTMAS POP SENSATIONS OF A SIMILAR NAME, WIZARDZZ ARE THE INEVITABLE SIDE PROJECT OF BRIAN "LIGHTING BOLT BASS" GIBSON. INTERESTINGLY GIBSON MANS THE TRAPS HERE AND PROVES HIMSELF ACTUALLY QUITE BLOODY GREAT ON THEM TOO. HE'S NOT AS WILD AS HIS PAL CHIPPENDALE BUT I'D LOVE TO HAVE HIM BACKING ME UP.

WIZARDZZ ARE A DUO, WITH THE OTHER INSTRUMENT BEING ORGAN/KEYBOARDS (I THINK THIS IS A LEFT-HAND ON ONE THING, RIGHT ON ANOTHER SITUATION) PROVIDING THICK AMBIENT TONES AND BIG CONSONANT MELODIES. AT TIMES IT IS ACTUALLY MISSING THAT VITAL EXTRA INGREDIENT, BUT ON SOME TUNES THEY SOUND LIKE A GIANT ENTITY THAT WERE HEADING SOMEWHERE ('SEA BATTLE AT ORKUTSK' IS MIGHTY). CLEARLY THEY GOT THIS DEAL BECAUSE ONE OF THE GUYS HAS MOVED AN OBSCENE AMOUNT OF RECORDS FOR THIS LABEL AND HAS A LOT OF TALENT.

THING IS LIGHTNING BOLT SPENT AGES TOURING AND REHEARSING HONING THEIR SHIT. WIZARDZZ PROBABLY DIDN'T AND AS SUCH IT ONLY GELS SPORADICALLY. THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL HERE BUT IT NEVER GOT REALISED, UNLESS WIZARDZZ HAVE BEEN WAITING 14 YEARS TO FOLLOW THIS SUCKER UP.

IMPRACTICAL COCKPIT - TO BE TREATED (LOAD 079)

GOD YOU KNOW I HAVE TO ADMIT I DON'T KNOW JACK SHIT ABOUT NEW ORLEANS MUSIC OUTSIDE OF JAZZ AND PANTERA AND EVEN AS SOMEONE WHO LIVED THROUGH LOAD RECORDS' IMPERIAL PHASE I CAN'T REMEMBER A GODDAMN THING ABOUT NOLA DIY WEIRDOS IMPRACTICAL COCKPIT. SAYS HERE THEY'RE A TRIO (SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT) AND THAT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT STILL BE TOGETHER. THIS IS THEIR ONLY LOAD RELEASE THOUGH THEY HAVE DONE PLENTY OTHER STUFF. THIS IS LIKE THEIR SIXTH ALBUM?

I GOTTA SAY I JUST CHIMED WITH THIS FROM THE GET-GO. IT FEELS FAIRLY FREEFORM BUT SOMEONE IN THE BAND IS ALWAYS REIGNING THEM BACK IN TOWARD STRUCTURE AND REPETITION. THERE'S SOMETHING IN THIS THAT REMINDS ME SIMULTANEOUSLY OF BEEFHEART, PARSON SOUND, POST-PUNK, THINKING FELLERS UNION LOCAL 282 AND A BUNCH OF OTHER UNDERHERALDED FREE ROCK TITANS OF DAYS OF YORE. THE SOUND IS NICELY BALANCED AND NO ONE IS JUST PLAYING A RANDOM ANNOYING SOUND FOR THE SAKE OF IT. IT'S ALL INTERPLAY. IT'S THE KIND OF THING I WANT FROM SIGHTINGS ALL THE TIME (SIGHTINGS ARE BETTER INDIVIDUAL MUSICIANS, TO BE FAIR, BUT SO WHAT IN A WAY)

THIS IS IT GUYS, I AM GOING TO GET THE IMPRACTICAL COCKPIT BEDSPREAD AND TATTOO, SURELY THEIR OTHER MUSIC IS ALL AS GOOD AS THIS. I'LL FIND OUT LATER. THIS RULES. LOAD IS ON A BIG RUN RIGHT NOW (SHAME THAT THE CATALOGUE ORDER IS STILL OUT OF WHACK WITH CHRONOLOGY).

CERTIFIED: GOOD

LIGHTNING BOLT - HYPERMAGIC MOUNTAIN (LOAD 078)

THIS ALBUM IS ONE HOUR OF LIGHTNING BOLT THROWING EVERYTHING AND THE KITCHEN SINK AT THE PROCESS OF WRITING AND RECORDING AN ALBUM. IT IS A MAXIMALIST FURYSMASH OF THE DISTORTO CARTOONISH BASS-HEAVY MEGAROCK THAT THEY HAD, BY THIS TIME, BECOME ACTUALLY FAMOUS FOR. HERE'S THEM PLAYING A SONG FROM IT IN 2014 THAT RULES SO FUCKING HARD I CAN HARDLY SPEAK.

I FIND IT REALLY HARD TO FAULT ANY INDIVIDUAL PIECE HERE. THEY'RE NEARLY ALL OBJECTIVELY GOOD LIGHTNING BOLT TUNES. I GUESS MY ONLY ISSUE IS THAT ONE HOUR OF A MAXIMALIST BAND AT A FAIRLY MAXIMAL RATE IS HARD. I HAVE *NEVER* LISTENED TO THIS ALBUM IN ONE GO AND I BOUGHT IT ON THE DAY IT CAME OUT 15 YEARS AGO.

MAYBE THIS IS WHY I KIND OF CHECKED OUT ON LIGHTNING BOLT AFTER THIS? THEY DID NOT LEAVE ME WANTING MORE. NEARLY EVERY STYLE YOU COULD IMAGINE THEM PURSUING WITH THEIR LINE-UP, FROM AGGRO NOISE ROCK TO HELLISH TECHNOID BELTERS TO WEIRDO REDNECK RAMPAGE TO ACID FRIED CHIPTUNE ON REAL INSTRUMENTS - IT'S ALL HERE. I AM GOING TO CALL THIS CERTIFIED GOOD BECAUSE I GUESS WHENEVER I FINISH AFTER DEAD COWBOY AND THEN COME BACK TO DO THE REST I ALWAYS HAVE *TWO* GOOD TIMES.

CERTIFIED: GOOD.

THE USA IS A MONSTER - WOHAW (LOAD 076)

THE SECOND RECORD BY THE USAISAMONSTER HAS THIS ONE MELODIC TRICK THAT OVERCOMING WILL LEAD YOU TO ENJOYING GREATLY. THAT IS THIS: A LOT OF THE TIME THE VOCAL MELODY IS THE SAME AS THE GUITAR MELODY. SOMETIMES BOTH GUYS SING IT. IT CAN BE FRUSTRATING. BUT HERE'S WHY YOU SHOULD PERSIST:

THIS RECORD DEPARTS FROM THE AGGRO NOISE ROCK OF TASHEYANA COMPOST AND LEANS HEAVILY INTO THE SIDE OF THAT RECORD THAT EXPLORED NATIVE AMERICAN THOUGHT AND THE POLITICS OF COLONISATION AND ANTI-ENVIRONMENTALIST TENDENCIES OF POWER. THESE MOMENTS OF UNISON GUITAR/VOCALS ARE NOT, LIKE IT IS IN SONIC YOUTH, A LACK OF IMAGINATION. INSTEAD IT IS A PLAN TO CONVEY BY MUSICALITY THAT SOLEMNITY AND NOBILITY OF THE NATIVE STRUGGLE. THAT'S MY THINKING ANYWAY.

THIS IS A GREAT RECORD, ACTUALLY. IT'S SO MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND ON THE MONEY, EVEN THOUGH THE MUSICAL VARIETY IS HIGHER. IT IS A LONG OLD TRIP, LONGER THAN A WHOLE GODDAMN HOUR, BUT I THINK THEY JUST ABOUT EARN IT FOR THE WHOLE LENGTH. EVEN AS A ROCK DUO WITH OCCASIONAL KEYBOARD FLOURISHES THEY GET ENOUGH OUT OF THIS SMALL EQUATION. GOOD ON YA LADS.

CERTIFIED: GOOD

MEN'S RECOVERY PROJECT - THE VERY BEST OF MEN'S RECOVERY PROJECT (LOAD 075)

ANOTHER CO-RELEASE WITH 5RC, WHO HANDLED THE CD VERSION OF THE RELEASE, WHILE LOAD RECORDS PROVIDED THE 2xLP VERSION. A COUPLE OF THESE TUNES HAVE BEEN HEARD BEFORE ON BOLIDES OVER BASRA (LOAD 020) AND THEREFORE IT IS A PROPER 'BEST OF' RATHER THAN A CONTRARIAN STEP OF PRETENDING A NEW RELEASE IS A BEST OF.

I THINK WHAT I NOTICE ABOUT MEN'S RECOVERY PROJECT HERE IS THAT THERE IS A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF "SINCERITY" AND "CRAFT" IN WHAT IS A GROUP WITH A FAIR AMOUNT OF TONGUE IN CHEEK. OVER 40 TRACKS THEY PRODUCE A RESPECTABLE RATE OF TRADITIONALLY ENJOYABLE SONGS THAT HIT THE USUAL NOTES OF PLEASURE AND STRUCTURE. THEY'RE INTERSPERSED WITH SOME FILLER NONSENSE THAT WOULD USUALLY BE BEYOND THE PURVIEW OF A BEST OF BUT HEY HO.

AT ITS BEST IT SORT OF REMINDS ME OF MEN WITHOUT HATS WITH A SLIGHTLY MORE VICIOUS SENSE OF HUMOUR AND CONSIGNED ENTIRELY TO RECORD ON BEDROOM-QUALITY MATERIAL CIRCA 2000. FANS OF PRODUCTION VALUES OR JUST THE ADDITIONAL DIMENSION THAT PRODUCTION CAN BRING TO POP MUSIC WILL PROBABLY CRAP OUT BEFORE THE 20 TRACK MARK (OF 40 PRESENT) BUT FANS OF MELODIES AND DITTIES AND HUMOUR WILL HANG ON TO THE BITTER END.

FAT WORM OF ERROR - PREGNANT BABIES PREGNANT WITH PREGNANT BABIES (LOAD 074)

LOOK I LIKE DEERHOOF AS MUCH AS THE NEXT GUY BUT IT IS REALLY CLEAR TO SEE HOW THEIR MUSIC PUSHED IN A CERTAIN DIRECTION WOULD LEND ITSELF TO CAROLINER/NAUTICAL ALMANAC-STYLE ACTUAL WANKING AND HERE IS PROOF POSITIVE AS TWO EX-HOOFS BLOB IN MY EARS FOR A FULL ALBUM.

ON ONE HAND THIS KIND OF APPROACH, ABSOLUTELY CONTEMPTUOUS FOR CONTEMPORARY NOTIONS OF AUDIENCE ADDRESS AND PLEASURE AS IT IS, HAS MY ETERNAL FUCKING RESPECT AND FASCINATION. THEY LITERALLY DO NOT CARE IF YOU ARE THERE OR ENJOYING IT. SONGS STUTTER AROUND IN THESE WOUNDED CIRCLES FILAGREED WITH WACKINESS AND ANNOYING TONES AND IT JUST DARES YOU TO GET ON BOARD.

LIFE ISN'T TOO SHORT TO LISTEN TO THEM: LIFE IS LONG AND IT IS ONLY RIGHT THAT YOU ATTEMPT TO TAKE IN ITS RICHNESS. HOWEVER IT IS ALSO FAIR THAT YOU DISMISS THINGS LIKE THIS IN THE LONG RUN AS IT WILL TURN YOU INTO THE SORT OF PERSON WHO THINKS THIS IS ACE AND A REGULAR SONG LIKE "WOULDN'T IT BE GOOD?" BY NIK KERSHAW IS SHIT WHICH IT IS NOT.

RATED RANCID.

VAMPIRE CAN'T - KEY CUTTER (LOAD 073)

A ONE-OFF COLLABORATION BETWEEN BILL NACE (NOW IN BODY/HEAD WITH KIM GORDON) SOUND ARTIST JESSICA RYLAN AND DRUMMER EXTRAORDINAIRE CHRIS CORSANO.

WHILST THIS IS VERY MUCH A 'FREE' AESTHETIC IN WHICH FORWARD MOTION IS DETERMINED BY LISTENING AND REBOUNDING, RATHER THAN A STRUCTURE OR METHOD, IT IS REFRESHING (IN THIS CONTEXT) TO HEAR THIS APPROACH TAKEN BY TALENTED MUSICIANS IN A MORE CONVENTIONAL SENSE.

NACE HAS A GREAT CHAINSAWING GUITAR SOUND WHILST CORSANO JUST WHIRLWINDS AROUND HIS KIT WITH TRADITIONAL AND AVANT TECHNIQUES (WASN'T HE THE GUY WHO APPLIED CIRCULAR BREATHING TECHNIQUES TO DRUMMING? WILD STUFF). RYLAN BRINGS A CONVERSATIONALITY AND PERFORMANCE TO THIS SO IT DOESN'T FEEL TOO CEREBRAL.

THIS ONE RULES ACTUALLY. CERTIFIED GOOD.

PRURIENT - BLACK VASE (LOAD 072)

YOU GOT TO HAND IT TO DOMINICK FERNOW AKA PRURIENT AKA VATICAN SHADOW AKA A BUNCH OF OTHER NAMES. PARTLY THERE'S THE ELEMENT OF HUSTLE: BLACK VASE, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY THE SOUND OF A SPECTRUM ZX LOADING SCREEN JAMMING WITH A DENTAL DRILL, GOT 7.0 ON PITCHFORK. HOW THIS GUY CONNED THAT BUNCH OF NERDS IS SOMETHING TO ADMIRE.

IN FACT IT IS WILD HOW MUCH VARIANCE THERE IS IN THE QUALITY OF FERNOW'S WORK. HIS BEST IS LIFE-AFFIRMING, TRANSCENDENTAL: THE BEST OF MUSIC. HIS WORST IS THE SORT OF STUFF YOU CROSS THE ROAD TO AVOID. IF HE HAS ANY RECORDS THAT MAKE YOU SAY "THAT WAS OK" THEN I GUESS HE'S STARTED DOING IT WRONG BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL POLARISING IF NOT FOR THE DISSONANCE AND VOLUME THEN FOR THE PROVOCATION AND THE POLITICS.

THE TITLE CUT HERE PERHAPS SAVES THIS ONE FROM BEING RATED RANCID. IT BROODS AS A PRIMARY MODE, A COMFORT THAT REFOCUSES THE HORRENDOUS SQUALLING OF BENT METAL AND HIGH PITCH TONES THAT TRY TO PUSH YOU AWAY. ON THE WHOLE THOUGH I WOULD HAVE TO RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO NOT GET THIS ALBUM.

HOSPITALS - I'VE VISITED THE ISLAND OF JOCKS AND JAZZ (LOAD 071)

ORIGINALLY I MISTOOK THIS GROUP FOR A JOHN DWYER PROJECT: IT TURNS OUT THAT NOT ONLY DO THEY SOUND LIKE SOMETHING DWYER MIGHT HAVE DONE IN THE INTERIM BETWEEN PINK + BLACK AND COACHWHIPS BUT THEY TOURED WITH THEM TOO. SO NOT A TERRIBLE-A MISTAKE-A TO MAKE-A!

IT SEEMS STRANGE THAT ANY LABEL MIGHT HAVE EVER BEEN INTERESTED IN A ROCK GROUP THAT DOESN'T REALLY ROCK OR HAVE MELODIES AND RATHER JUST HAS SOME VAGUELY "ROCK" SOUNDING NOISES UNDER A CLOUD OF ATTITUDE AND FOG. IT'S KIND OF LIKE PSYCHOCANDY PLAYED BY AMERICAN TEENS. THEIR AESTHETIC HOLDS ACROSS THE ALBUM: A KIND OF HOMESPUN NOISE PROJECT WITH THE CONTOURS OF ROCK AND ROLL (DRIVEN BY BEATS, BASICALLY) BUT ALL THE LISTENABILITY FACTOR OF ACTUAL NOISE.

IT ISN'T GOOD AND IT ISN'T BAD. THIS MIGHT BE THE LEAST ESSENTIAL LOAD RELEASE TO DATE. IT'S JUST THERE. UNMEMORABLE BUT KNOWS ITSELF. THEY MIGHT HAVE RULED LIVE BUT HERE IT JUST LACKS SHAPE AND DEFINITION.