Deftones - Koi No Yokan

The 2012 offering from Deftones continues in the direction that Chino Moreno has been driving their music since their self-titled release in 2003. Fans of the vocal style of Chino Moreno in early albums like Adrenaline and Around the Fur will only see glimpses of it here. But not to fear! There are tracks on this one that rival the best riffs from the early material. The guitars are layered beautifully and will demand multiple listens to fully sink in. There's so much going on. The first 6 tracks feel almost like a single track with things taking a surprising turn on the 7th track "Tempest", with the band venturing into their most doom/space/shoegaze territory yet, all layered on top of Chino's painfully honest screaming, the most intense vocal display I've heard of his. Can't wait to listen to the album "Gore", that they released last month.

On a side note, I hope Chino and Zach Hill do collaborate once more and give us another Team Sleep release! Also, could please Deftones and James Maynard Keenan get together to create another track like Passenger?!

Metal EPs

My favourite EPs in no order of preference.

• Mastodon - Lifesblood - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifesblood
• This EP introduces the world to Brann Dailor's drumming in all its glory. While his collaborations with Today is the Day and some other acts were good, he takes it to the next level on this EP. I wish Mastodon releases something inspired by this in the future just for fans of their early material.

• The Dillinger Escape Plan - Under the Running Board - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Running_Board
• A ground breaking album, packs an enormous punch - and it's 7 mins long

• The Dillinger Escape Plan - Irony is a Dead Scene - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_Is_a_Dead_Scene
• One of the most versatile musicians of past 3 decades, Mike Patton, is the front man on this EP. Enough said!

• Opiate - Tool - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiate_(EP)
• Diverse influences are visible on this EP. Great tracks, also sort of feels like a practice pad for the band before they perfected their sound

• Slayer - Haunting the Chapel - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haunting_the_Chapel
• Slayer coming off of the madness that Show No Mercy was, takes a tangential direction on this EP. Very interesting stuff

• Meshuggah - I - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_(Meshuggah_EP)
• Thomas Haake says about this release, "That whole track was written and recorded just on random". Thank you very much!

• Mercyful Fate - Mercyful Fate - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercyful_Fate_(EP)
• What a flawless album for a first release! I would even go so far as to say that it competes with the best material they've later put out

• Entombed - Hollowman - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollowman
• A radical departure from their previous work, the precursor to their genre defining album Wolverine Blues

Candiria - The Process of Self Development

I can't believe this band has existed for 17 years. The band calls their style Urban Fusion. post-rock-mathprog-electro-pop-grind-rap-core-ambient-dnb-jazz-metal. you are free to insert as many genres in the - in the previous sentence. Thats a pretty accurate description of their genre. These guys switch from heavy groove metal to latin jazz and along the way throw in a hip-hop interlude or noodling space rock riffs. Now, this may not be everyone's idea of music, but if you like listening to crazy stuff and you don't care to label your music as this or that, you'll love Candiria. I have listened to all their previous albums and just downloaded their 2008 release "Kiss the lie". Get The Process of Self Development now!

Unquestionable Presence

I've listened to Unquestionable Presence by Atheist a few times recently after a gap of about 2 years. And I rediscovered what a delight it is. This is aggressive, death-thrash-jazz-funk stuff with tons of jaw-dropping riffs. The album opener Mother Man is sheer genius. The song immediately makes clear what to expect from the album. The drumming is mind-numbingly precise and lays down the perfect basis for the ensuing madness. The bass keeps switching between maniacal gallops and crazed funk slap. Kelly Shaefer's vocal work is spot on. This is one heck of an album, one of metal's greatest.