The Majestic Unicorns From Hell – Valde Purgamentum


“Holy fuck!”…those were the first words that came to my mind after I finished my very first listen-through of The Majestic Unicorns From Hell‘s debut album Valde Purgamentum. And I could probably end my review here, and have said everything that needs to be said. But, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t at least elaborate a tiny bit further. So without further ado, let’s dive into this thirteen track beast.

The dynamic quartet from Luxembourg plays instrumental … I’ll just say “music”. Because trying to categorize their sound is close to impossible, since there are elements of thrash, black, death, industrial, blues, groove, funk, jazz and pretty much every other genre you can imagine. While it might sound super chaotic on paper, it’s just that: chaos, but of the perfectly structured kind which simply won’t let you go.

This feat is achieved by the incredibly high musicianship of all four members, who completely master their instruments and then add another layer of ingenuity. I hereby challenge you to count the seemingly endless amount of nifty drum fills alone. The variety of the different riffs and licks in the guitar department is just as insane and in no way has to hide behind the man with the sticks.

While I generally prefer music with vocals, of which there are none on here except a few spoken lines by one of the best exports from New Zealand since the LOTR trilogy, the Unicorns managed to captivate me with their sheer balls-to-the-wall, dial to eleven attitude. I can guarantee that these thirty-six minutes will not disappoint you, if you don’t have a pre-existing heart condition…in which case I would advise caution.

To sum it up, I can safely say that Valde Purgamentum has made it to the top of my “music I never want to have sex to” list, for fear of dying. More seriously though: this record is one of my personal surprises of the year and I strongly recommend giving it a go. More info can be found on their Facebook page and by listening to the song below, which is not a mix from the final album. If I still haven’t managed to convince you, stop by Decibel in Luxembourg this Friday and make up your own opinion since the band will be releasing their CD there.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT6_2yffUUs]

The Devil Wears Prada – 8:18


Almost exactly two years after releasing their critically acclaimed Dead Throne, the Ohio-based band The Devil Wears Prada is back with their fifth record 8:18. I remember when I heard the first track off it, I was slightly underwhelmed since it sounded very generic and I was hoping for something more. But since I never judge an album by a single song, I optimistically gave it a try and it turns out that I was not disappointed.

The quintet stays true to its melodic metalcore roots and manages to capture me from the first second of the forty-four minutes to the last. In comparison to the previous endeavor, which was a rather straight-forward neckbreaker, you’ll find that they’ve decided to employ more melodious passages again. But do not fear, the heavy parts are, in my opinion, heavier than the Zombie EP, which is arguably their heaviest output.

The one thing that amazes me the most though, is the fact that the entire thirteen songs have a certain gloomy feel to them which is very well accentuated by the clean vocals during choruses and the keyboard track. The guitar front has also improved, resulting in more technical riffs and a higher recognition value. The drumming remains at its usual high level, with a hint more groove than previously.

The most interesting fact about 8:18, to me, is that the unclean vocals are deliberately as untouched as possible in order to convey a performance similar to a live experience. This adds a very “real” feel and helps in making this record their most impressive one to date.

It’s safe to say that this album shouldn’t be missed by fans of the genre, but also skeptics should give it a chance…it might change your mind. To keep up with the band, visit their Facebook page and don’t hesitate to listen to the song below.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27mTRnqMzxM]

Knife Point

It is Friday, and I am back with a new short movie review — although, to be fair, Knife Point doesn’t technically qualify as “short” if you consider the fact that all my previous picks did not exceed 10 minutes. With its 24 minutes runtime, it takes a little more time out of your day than the others, and definitely demands more of your attention. Director Carlo Mirabella-Davis himself calls it a “horror short”, but I’d categorise it as a thriller because of its slow development and emphasis on tone rather than action.

Mirabella-Davis completed his Masters degree at the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU and now teaches directing and screenwriting at the New York Film Academy. He teamed up with Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, stars of the renowned movie Once, and directed a documentary about their real life romance. He’s a prolific and knowledgeable filmmaker, no doubt, and Knife Point is another testament to his prowess. It makes for a terrific visual experience with its striking cinematography, gripping atmosphere and pretty soundtrack. The talented cast adds to its quality, as well (special mention goes to Kate Lyn Sheil, who deservedly won Best Actress for her poignant performance at The Brooklyn International Film Festival.)

I have my share of problems with the story, though. Knife Point is about a knife salesman who travels with an evangelical Christian family, and of course, trouble looms on the horizon and some serious shit goes down later on. Firstly, I have read reviews that called the plot twist “unexpected”, and I have to disagree. Vehemently. I could predict the way this movie would turn out from miles away, and it’s not because I’m a fortune teller/Sherlock reincarnate/intuitive genius of some kind. Secondly, and this ties in nicely with my first point, the message is so unbelievably morally judgemental and lazy. I find it hard to elaborate here because I would have to spoil the entire plot, but let’s just say that while I understand the damage religious fanaticism can do, there are smarter ways to treat the subject. The portrayal of the devout family (specifically the father) struck me as far too rigid and caricatural, and I’m not a fan of unfair stereotyping, even if I personally disagree with the worldview of said group.

So that rubbed me the wrong way, and I ended up staring at the screen with a raised eyebrow as the credits rolled. To me, Knife Point feels like a personal vendetta against religious people, and it made me too uncomfortable to savour the otherwise fantastic viewing experience to the fullest. I’m sure other people won’t see a problem with it, though, and if you think you can see past it, I can let you sit down for half an hour to absorb the beautifully shot and acted film with a clear conscience.

[vimeo 74499750 w=480&h=281]

Weakonstruction – Reinventing Ourselves


As I mentioned in my review of their debut EP, the Luxembourgish punk ensemble Weakonstruction are releasing their first full length Reinventing Ourselves on October 19th and I’m proud to present you with yet another pre-release review. So let’s dive right in!

The general formula of the eleven songs remains unchanged from their known style, but you can notice a clear improvement in its execution. The first thing that struck was the way better production, which simply helps to deliver the different parts more effectively. It’s not over-produced whatsoever and still sounds like everything you’re looking for in a punk record, leading to a by far more enjoyable listening experience.

On the instrumental side, the general consensus is vastly more fast-paced than on the predecessor, with only one acoustic song this time around, and I can totally picture an old-school pogo going on at shows…so I’m looking forward to that! The guitar work is a mix between pop-punk and classic punk and they even added a couple of solos to spice things up nicely, resulting in an interesting blend which is bound to keep you listening to these twenty-five minutes.

The drums are pretty straight-forward and, positively, basic thus avoiding a distraction from the rest but still nicely keeping it together. I also feel like the singer has put in quite a bit of work into his vocals, both clean and screamed ones. While he can not be described as the most technical or versatile singer, you simply buy what he sings since it just sounds so natural. The semi-cliché, semi-funny lyrics underline what Weakonstruction is all about: fun! My personal highlight is the slightly alcohol-inspired song Ech wees et nik, which is sung in the band’s mother tongue, since it features funny lyrics and a super catchy chorus: I could absolutely imagine this one being played on the radio!

All in all, Reinventing Ourselves is a fairly solid punk record which should be given a shot by any fan of the genre and people who want to reinvent their musical taste (see what I did there?). Visit the band’s Facebook page for updates as well as a preview of the song Opinion and if you like what you hear, come to Soul Kitchen in Luxembourg this Saturday for the release show of the album! See you there!

Doomed From Day One – Nine Fingers


Like my fellow writers here at El Gore, I generally choose what album I want to write about which is one of the perks of being an independent website. However, every now and then bands or their managers hit us up to ask us for a review and we generally agree since it’s fun to discover new things. The downside to that is that sometimes you are confronted with utter shite…I am very glad to say that today is not one of those days. Doomed From Day One is a rather young band from England who is about to release their second EP Nine Fingers.

The quintet plays progressive death metal with a very modern approach which features minor elements of djent and metalcore in certain passages. While their sound is certainly not re-inventing the wheel in any shape or form, they execute it flawlessly and keep it very interesting throughout the six songs. Especially the production caught my attention since it’s very well done, especially since, from what I can tell, it’s self-produced.

The guitars are quite diversified and range from pounding riffs to tasty little technicalities that leave you begging for more. However, my old deficiency of generally being unable to distinguish the bass in the mix when guitars play is being tried again…since I missed out on most of the bass during the thirty minutes of the EP. The drums don’t have to hide in any way either, since they serve you excellent double bass work as well as the occasional blast beats while the variation comes in the form of groovy rhythms and intricate fills.

On my very first listen-through I was already severely impressed by the vocal work and from time to time I felt like I was listening to Randy Blythe of Lamb Of God. The comparison has worn off after another few times but the appreciation of the quality is still there. The various screams, growls and screeches are just the way they’re supposed to be and round the ensemble off perfectly.

All in all, I’d say that England can add another band to its roster of promising bands and I’m very much looking forward to what the response world-wide will be to Nine Fingers which will be out on October 21st! For more information, feel free to visit the band’s Facebook page and don’t be shy and listen to the song below. By the way, in case you’re from the area: the guys are heading out on tour the day after the release, so be sure to catch them live.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_uVCnB8RqI]

Trash Monday LXXXVII

“Although the Nail lineup consists of veterans of internationally successful recording/touring acts, the group is currently unsigned and remains independently managed. NAIL official website is www.nailband.com” (source:nailband.com)

Can somebody please tell me why this amazing Canadian progressive heavy rock/metal band is still unsigned??

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOWmgtqOqhw&feature=youtu.be]

Bubba Ho-tep

I have been looking for Bubba Ho-tep (2002) for some years now but I, somehow, always kept on procrastinating which may be due to the fact that I do not enjoy horror comedies and that I am not a big Bruce Campbell fan.

As already mentioned, Bubba Ho-tep is an American horror-comedy. It was co-written and directed by Don Coscarelli and is based on a homonymous short story by Joe R.Lansdale. The film stars Bruce Campbell as the impotent Elvis Presley or some kind of ageing, mentally retarded impersonator, who resides at The Shady Rest Retirement Home. One of Elvis’ fellow lodgers is Jack (Ossie Davis), an elderly black man who insists he is President John F. Kennedy. Jack/John claims that “they” dyed him black after the “missed” assassination in Dallas and that Lyndon B. Johnson abandoned him in this retirement home. Due to some mystical events and killings, Mister President decides to team up with the King in order to destroy the evil, which would release the trapped souls of their dead friends.

As you see, the film has exceptionally great potential but take a wild guess: yes, they ruined it, or let’s rather say that they partly ruined it because of the decision to turn this brilliant and funny concept into a superfluous horror movie. I have never read Lansdale’s short story but the film hits the skids pretty soon and the whole terrorizing soul-eating mummy stuff goes astray.

In the end there are only the two main characters and the actors who play them who are able to turn Bubba Ho-tep around. When it comes to B-Movies it is an absolute rarity that I finish the film only because of the actors. Campbell/Elvis and Ossi/Jack/JFK are absolutely amazing and their acting is close to perfection. They are funny when they are supposed to be funny, they are sad when they are supposed to be sad and they are congenially weird throughout the whole film and every single emotion is put across with concentrated passion and devotion.

The characters not only work on their own, the actors are also able to create a fair and beautiful interplay. They are more than simple synthetic constructs, they come alive by endearing authenticity and I immediately fell under the spell of Elvis’ and John’s charisma.The writers and actors did a great job and it is nice to see that although the rest of the movie is rather weak, there were at least a few people who gave it some thought.

In the end, the movie doesn’t work as a horror comedy and we don’t need a sequel (as Ossie is dead and Bruce refused the role) but when it comes to Bubba Ho-tep, you can certainly give it a try.

Anna’s Top 5 Albums for Autumn

Reviewing music is not my job around here, nor my forte in general, but today I want to write about records regardless. With all due respect to the aficionados, I’m getting a little fed up with all the post-hardcore/metalcore, and since I feel that my taste differs pretty substantially from the others, I figured I’d add a breath of fresh air by compiling a list of music you wouldn’t typically find on El Gore.

Autumn is my favourite season. I love the orange-gold-red colour palette and crisp air, I love the big scarves and boots, I love watching nature degenerate and drift into hibernation mode, I love how even though everything is dying, it still feels like the best things are just on the verge of happening. I aimed to reflect all these things in my list and tried to offer some variety while keeping it relevant to the theme. Hope you enjoy!

#5 Hakobune – Shadow on the Lawn

Takahiro Yorifuji creates the kind of tranquil sounds that even the most musically open-minded of my friends find impossible to listen to (“each song is just 10 minutes of static noise with a barely discernible tonal quality to it!”) To me, it’s music that runs entirely on intuitive emotion. A dreamscape, if you will. Ambient drone is my preferred genre for reading/writing sessions and long solitary walks, and I maintain that there’s nothing more emotionally gratifying than walking through a golden autumn wonderland while Shadow on the Lawn is playing. I encourage you to try it.

Highlights: Shadow on the Lawn, It Begins to Sway

#4 The Horrors – Primary Colours

Now for something more universally accessible. Primary Colours has an attractive sombre feel to it that runs like a guideline through the entire record and suits the darker early days of autumn. The British rock band’s second release was produced by Geoff Barrow of Portishead, which is indicative of its high quality: it is dirty, passionate, even sensual at times, but somehow also stoic. Stoically passionate and sensual. I don’t know how they made it work, but they did.

Highlights: Mirror’s Image, I Only Think of You

#3 Dungen – Skit I Allt

While Swedish quartet Dungen’s best album from a technical standpoint is arguably Ta Det Lugnt, Skit I Allt is my ultimate fall jam. It sounds just the way the crisp-air-and-sunshine combination feels. It’s sweet, almost sugary (I have an inkling that the flute is to blame), but ultimately way too pensive to topple over into kitsch. Its instrumental passages make it shine.

Highlights: Vara Snabb, Högdalstoppen

#2 Lackthereof – My Haunted

Danny Seim, multi-instrumentalist, member of the band Menomena and lone mastermind behind Lackthereof, has one of the most charismatic voices and some of the most creative ideas in terms of texture I’ve ever heard. He’s known for his maximalist approach to music, but unlike his work with Menomena and most of his other Lackthereof material, My Haunted sounds very simple and understated. On most tracks, it’s Seim and his acoustic guitar with some reverb, vocal layers and percussion thrown in here and there. Still, it has this unmistakable hypnotic signature sound to it that made me fall in love with Lackthereof in the first place, and it’s become my go-to album for misty, melancholic days.

Highlights: Both of Us, Shortest Path to the Ground

#1 Tame Impala – Lonerism

I’ve tried to fight it before because I’m aware of how pretentious it sounds coming from a person my age, but I can no longer deny that most of my favourite bands peaked sometime pre-1990. I guess I just have a thing for that crackling, messy, raw-sounding kind of music that’s been largely replaced by baby smooth production. Tame Impala is an exception to the rule, and that’s why I adore them.

While their debut, Innerspeaker, is more of a summer record (and was appropriately released in May), Lonerism was made for the darker days (and appropriately released in October.) On the surface, it is perfectly hopeful and features some seriously danceable tracks, but at its very core lies sadness and nostalgia. If you get into that perfect moderately gloomy- reflective fall mood, you’ll notice.

Highlights: Endors-Toi, Keep On Lying

Tonight Alive – The Other Side


It’s time that I come clean about something I do not deny when asked about, but that I don’t usually say out loud: I’m a sucker for pop punk with female lead singers. It all started in 2002 when Avril Lavigne released her debut album and since then I, almost religiously, check out everything that is vaguely similar. Earlier this year Paramore came back with a brilliant album but I wasn’t able to review it, so I’ve felt like I had to do so for Tonight Alive‘s second album The Other Side! Enjoy!

As earlier mentioned, the Australian quintet plays pop punk and that hasn’t changed on this record. However, one can definitely notice an improvement in song writing and execution in comparison to their debut: everything comes across as more mature. Which does not mean that What Are You So Scared Of? was poorly written, but it had that “typical” feel to it. This time it all sounds smoother and it’s simply more appealing to re-listen to the twelve songs over and over again.

As is tradition for the genre, the songs are generally upbeat and happy sounding with some heavier parts thrown in here and there. The technical amelioration of the band brings more intricate riffs and drumming with it, which, again, adds to the overall quality of the forty minutes. On a positive, however personal, side-note: the bass is perfectly mixed into the ensemble and even I, the bass-deaf guy, can clearly distinguish it at all times.

The icing on the auditive cake is the amazing voice of the vocalist, who doesn’t have to hide behind any of the famous (or lesser famous) front-women. The lyrics are still at the same, enjoyable, level as before but, I guess, also more grown-up and influenced by experiences from touring and so on.

To sum things up, I would say that if you are like me and like this kind of music…do not miss out on The Other Side for any reason whatsoever. If you are not at all familiar with the genre, this is probably a good record to give it a shot! For more information, be sure to check out the band’s Facebook page and get your musical dose below.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrkfkwzChoM]