A Snail Along A Straight Razor – Dividing Itself Through Motion

Song: ” I “

Artist: Meshuggah

Album: I [EP] (2004)

… Umeå, Sweden …

This is probably my favourite EP at the moment, its like mechanical sledgehammer lobotomizing you. From the very start of the track you get those blast beats and that one cord repeated over and over again until it all stops for a second then explodes in one long, agonizing scream.

” I “ is composed of one, 21 minute long track. Once again Meshuggah’smathematical precision is astounding and they manage to create a track that is not only colossal in structure but also in sound. From the oddly timed progression to their amazing drumming and rapid fire guitar work, I just cant get enough at the moment.

The track itself was described by Meshuggah “about a self…a psyche trying to decide if he is put on this earth to be a human or the nemesis of mankind.” To me it outlines the fact that we all have the ability to create but more often its our ability to destroy that comes to the forefront.

The Bishop

Song: “The Bishop”

Artist: Battle Of Mice

Album: Jesu/Battle Of Mice Split EP ( 2008 )

…Knife, Fork, Bottle and a Cork; that’s the way you spell New York…

I would of thought the dark, heavy, agonizing sound from Battle Of Mice would of contrasted well against the electronic, post rock pieces put together by Jesu.  But in reality the two tracks submitted by BOM seem out of place when placed next to the material from Jesu.

“The Bishop”is probably not the heaviest song from BOM’s catalogue but it would have to be one of the most impressive. There are many layers to the track vocally and musically, with dynamic changes progressing from soft to loud and loud to soft.

Julie Christmas vocals are something that has grown on me over time. At times they can be almost soft spoken and are very similar to Bjork but unlike Bjork they can quickly move to an intense scream that literally bleeds emotion and rawness.

A great album to check out simply because of the two Battle Of Mice tracks.

Let Me Come Into the Storm

Song: ” One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong”

Artist: Harvey Milk

Album: Courtesy And Good Will Toward Men (1997)

…Athens, United States…

This album is heavy, down tuned drone/sludge metal. With epic riffs throughout it comes together sounding sad and pain full but stand back and look at it from afar and you will see all those raw emotions combine and make a beautiful and poignant album.

“One Of Us Cannot be Wrong” is a Leonard Cohen cover, and how well this song fits into the overall structure of the album. Anger, jealousy and frustration this song is raw emotions at its best. The lyrics describe how this women makes a complete mess of a doctor, destroys a holy man’s spirit and freezes an Eskimo, yet Cohen still wanted to “come into the storm”….Wow.

 

This Station Is Non-Operational

Song: “One Armed Scissor”

Artist: At The Drive-In

Album: Relationship Of Command (2000)

…El Paso, Texas…

I remember the first time I listened to this album, it was like napalm being dropped on oxygen tanks.

“One Armed Scissor” is probably not the finest song on the album but it does have a reputation for being a classic.

For me this track always creates feelings of disillusionment, that the narrator has become detached from the rest of the world. Read somewhere that the song is partly about the heavy tour schedule that At The Drive-In underwent.

Either way this track (and album) is absolutly brilliant.