#debut release

Debut single "Misma Luna" by Los Angeles, California-based Spanish language deathrock act Bizarron.

This Day in Metal 🤘

𝐀𝐩𝐫 𝟐𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟖 #𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐛𝐮𝐦 “𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐝” #𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐎𝐟𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐥 #𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐬 #𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐖𝐚𝐫 #𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥

𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰...

kim minseok

A Look Through Ethel Cain's Debut 'Preacher's Daughter':

Ethel releases her debut album ‘Preacher’s Daughter’, and she really delivers a solid body of work. The record is concept driven and tells a rather dark tale that will grip your attention. With the lyrics drawing your focus as you try and follow the story. Her vocals are captivating and the production has an eerie edge encapsulated in a dreamy ethereal feel. 

She opens the album with ‘Family Tree (Intro)’ a moody introduction that sets the tone for the rest of the record. She uses religious imagery as it plays quite the role in the tale she is telling. Here she uses it to put forward family and how escaping them isn’t easy. You can run, but a part of them will always live within you due to the blood that you are bonded with. A start that draws you in igniting intrigue. The production has this haunting feel to it which is heightened as the track progresses. We then move onto ‘American Teenager’ the most pop moment on the record, that slightly feels detached from the rest of the record. Ethel sings about the struggles of trying to meet expectations and living up to the perception people have when it comes to what it means to be an American teenager. Through her vocals you feel her frustration of trying to meet those expectations, however she keeps finding obstacles in her path. The track will surely have you moving your head to it as you try to sing along to the chorus, and have you lost in its dreamy feel.

‘A House In Nebraska’ follows opening with these piano keys that sound like an organ playing in a church, which then are threaded through the rest of the track in the background. Here she slows things down. Stripping the production on most part, having only the piano accompanying her vocal and a faint snare drum sparsely placed. A past lover lingers in her mind as she envisions their moments together. How she still thinks of him with hope that he might come back to her. The house in Nebraska seems to be a place the two spent quite a bit of time together in, and thus she keeps going back to it. Her songwriting here is so beautiful, the depth with which she puts it all forward makes you feel how sad she is. The finale of the song uplifts into this guitar driven outro that feels electrifying and provides an exhilarating surprise. Ethel’s found a new lover on ‘Western Nights’ who seems to be quite aggressive, yet she still is infatuated with him and his nature doesn’t seem to bother her. She keeps to the pace the previous track sets. There is something rather cinematic about the song and that holds true for the album in its entirety. 

‘Family Tree’ seems to reveal quite a secret that even Ethel wasn’t aware of, does she have blood on her hands? Who and why did she kill this person? It raises a lot of questions and leaves you wondering. Her singing ‘So take me down to the river and bathe me clean, Put me on the back of your white horse to ride’, is quite fascinating. She bathes in the river washing her sins away and then is put onto this white horse that can be taken metaphorical to represent purity. However even though she’s getting rid of her sins, she seems to find herself going back to her old ways. Sound wise it borrows from the opening track and is the leaf at the end of the branch (Intro). We then move onto ‘Hard Times’ which tackles the heavy topic of abuse, here she sings about how her father abused her. You can feel the pain in her voice and the songs gentle production places you in a trance. There is a sense of longing, that even then she finds herself praying to be like her father in some ways which in turn scares her. She’s tired of still being tied to her father, someone who she expected to be her protector who ends up hurting her. There is this feeling of innocence that radiates through the production and vocal, which in turn represents the innocence of a child. 

On ‘Thoroughfare’ Ethel has run away from home, and along the way meets a stranger who she catches a ride with. She finds herself drawn to him since he seems different to the guys she’s encountered before. They seem to find some sort of common ground. That in itself is enough to have her be willing to stick with him, even if love isn’t present between them. The track has a western folk feel to it with the use of the harmonica and tambourine. The production is rather calm and gradually builds with the drums kicking in. Things take an unexpected turn on ‘Gibson Girl’ as the guy from the previous track starts to pimp her out at a strip club, she seems out of it and numb to everything around her. The production on the track and vocal really play to that vibe you’d expect in strip club. Things get even dark on ‘Ptolemaea’ where it seems like she is being held captive in a secluded location. She is feeling all sorts of emotions and by the end of it she see’s no way out. The track has this chaotic feel with an emo punk rock edge due to the production choices. As the song progresses it seems to encapsulate you as it feels as though it has filled the space around you.

‘August Underground’ is more of an instrumental with a few vocal notes placed within it. Ethel has accepted her fate and knows there is no escaping now. Ethel has left the world and is now ascending on ‘Televangelism’, a piano moment infused with ambient sounds. You feel this soothing sense of calm here. On ‘Sun Bleached Flies’ we get a reflection through her life and her experiences. Through the album you see her struggle with faith with it being such a significant part of her journey due to her father being a preacher. Here it seems like near the end she finds faith again, but not complete faith. In the moment where she knew it was the end and that no one was going to come and save her, she decided to pray. The repetition moment of ‘If it’s meant to be then it’ll be’ in the bridge that sounds like a choir due to the layered vocals, it feels like she was repeating it to herself as a way to distract her in the end. The track has this dreamy ethereal feel that you get lost in and it’s such an exhilarating moment on the record particularly due to the bridge. The end provides a full circle moment as she revisits the house in Nebraska. She can’t let go of her past and she doesn’t seem to want to either as that is all she has ever known. 

We get to ‘Strangers’ the closing moment on the album that opens with what sounds like a moment pulled from a sermon. On here we get this really tender beginning and the opening lines particularly ‘Thinking back to what I was always told, Don’t talk to strangers or you might fall in love’, really pull at your emotions. The pre-chorus adds this creepy sensual feel to the track. Her vocals on this one in particular standout and during the second verse they feel angelic. The song builds as it goes and the second chorus has this vast essence to it that washes over you. After which we transcend into this rock moment that is chaotic and electrifying. She seems to be in a freezer in the basement of her killers house, who is a cannibal eating her. Here her main aim is to let her mother know that regardless of the tough relationship they’ve had that she still loves her. A perfect and chilling close to the album and end to the story. 

Here I am with a new review in “Let’s Listen to”! Today’s subject is the first album of the Japanese superband Ace of Spades, named 4Real and released today. If you don’t know them, they formed on 2012 and are composed by Takahiro (vo.), from the pop band Exile, Hisahi (gt.), member of the visual band Glay, Tokie (ba.), member of the alternative rock band Losalios and Motokatsu Miyagami (dr.), from the hardcore band The Mad Capsule Markets. And now... let’s review!

-Wild Tribe: the album starts with the lead of the first single, going strong with a relevant rhythm and an energetic guitar; Takahiro’s voice is bold and animated, fitting the theme along with a compelling bass work; an intense rock track, made of its own identity. ---> 9/10

-Mousou (Delusion): a steady guitar kicks off this song, in an articulated rhythm, well empowered by the guitar; good vocals keep up the theme, rocking and enjoyable in its own, for another good track. ---> 8.5/10

-Sin (ft. Hiroomi Tosaka): this song starts with an electronic intro, followed up by a dynamic guitar and a quite steady rhythm; the vocals are freaking and unregular, with clear and more animated tones, in a quite balanced song, despite the messy dual vocal part. ---> 8/10

-Louder: another song featuring a strong electronic component, with a relevant guitar playing and Takahiro’s effected but intense vocals, kept up by a beating rhythm, which features even heavier shades; a really good track, with an awesome instrumental work. ---> 9/10

-Time Flies (ft. Pkczcr and Hiroomi Tosaka): as per title, a ticking clock opens the lead song of the second single, which goes on with strong rhythm and energetic notes; here emerges a pretty decent pop component, even if it is a contrast with the genre here proposed so far; an interesting song in its own, with a good electronic and rock mix. ---> 8/10

-Last Night: a dim and melancholic melody opens the song, with pretty intense vocals; the rhythm goes on shaded, well put in this short but soft and melancholic song, with a sort of maturity. ---> 8/10

-Vampire: the lead song of the album starts with a steady rhythm and crystalline notes, in a more energetic and animated theme; the vocals are fast but balanced, surrounded by a clear and pleasant melody, for a quite good song. ---> 8.5/10

-Dream in the Mirror: a vibrant guitar opens the song, with a beating rhythm; the atmosphere is pretty nostalgical, thanks to clear and flowing vocals and a pleasant guitar playing; a well structured song, with a good vocal interpretation. ---> 9/10

-Chikai (Oath): limpid piano and the guitar open this song, with a melodious theme; the vocals are soft and suadent, accompained by the piano, in a good ballad, which shows the softest side of the band. ---> 9/10

-Lookin’ For: this song has a freaking theme, with rapid vocals, well accompained by the drums and the bass, building up a rhythmical melody, very pleasant to listen to; a catchy and enjoyable track. ---> 9/10

-Now Here: this song starts with an energetic guitar, accompained by a balanced rhythm; simple and flowing vocals keep up the theme, in a fresh and cheerful melody, underlined by the guitar, for a easy and nice song. ---> 8.5/10

-Just like Heaven: a piercing guitar kicks off the song, in a theme with a fast rhythm; the vocals are pretty balanced, driving a melody built mainly by the guitar, for a good track. ---> 8.5/10

-All Time Best: the album ends with a song, featuring a fast rhythm and rapid vocals, with a sinuous and fresh guitar; the melody is really energetic and really easy to follow, in an ending track balanced with the rest of the album, with a note for the final guitar part. ---> 8.5/10

Final Vote ---> 8.5/10

Ace of Spades has started to show its true colors, after seven years being under the radar, thanks to a first album which has surely generated a certain interest. The release is made by the best features of the genres brought up by the members of this band, such as Takahiro’s intense voice, Hisahi’s energetic guitar, Tokie’s compelling bass and Motokatsu’s strong rhythms. This commistion of genres and styles is probably the most important feature of Ace of Spades and despite the defects of the case, 4Real is a good debut for them and we are ready to know their next move, as they have the potential for doing even better. An album for who is looking for a rock band, made of great names and different shades, for an interesting and unpredictable result.

That’s all folks! See you tomorrow for a time-travel in “Throwback Thursday”!

Thanks for the reading!