The new Blueneck album King Nine arrived as a late Christmas present but still manages to be on e of the best releases of 2014


The first Blueneck album to feature vocals on each track it's a leap forward in terms of commerciality from previous releases. The album opens with Counting Out which is one of the standouts of the album. A depressing tale of a dying man and his secrets unravelling, it's still strangely uplifting. This bank have the same ability as Coldplay to have that nagging piano or chiming guitar motif that just lodges in your brain and it's played to perfection on the opening track.


Sirens follows and this is where the Coldplay similarities end as this is closer to previous releases - brooding, heavy atmosphere leading to a cathartic crescendo of noise.


There is a feel of Radiohead in places but the vocals are less of a whine (Thom Yorke does nothing for me) and full of feeling. Though most of that is either utter desolation or melancholy so it's not a jolly listen....


The big centre piece is Mutatis, a 9 minute beast of a track. Starting slow with piano and vocals, it builds layer on layer until you have something that sounds like a lost Ennio Morricone epic. A lone trumpet plaintively plays over crashing percussion before everything is lost under noise of what sounds like a jet engine starting up !


With stunning artwork supplied by the mercurial Lasse Hoile adding to the look and feel of the album this should be the release to push the band into the mainstream and if it doesn't then the music industry really hasn't got a clue.

So last year I made a list of half a dozen releases I was looking forward to and it was a disaster.....


I bought the lead single for 3 of the releases and decided against buying the album, 2 I purchased and one I forgot all about !!


So lets try again with the wish list for 2015:


Firstly of those albums already named and ready for release


Enslaved - In Times (Brutal Norse Metal)
Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful (First release with Floor Janssen and probably completely OTT as usual)
Public Service Broadcasting - The Race for Space (a concept album on the 1960's space exploration)
Thunder - Wonder Days (from a band who've retired more times than Quo)


There are also expected releases from Scandinavia in the form of Myrkur and Barren Earth and The Eden House have promised new EP's or an album for 2015


Of the re-releases in the pipeline the Fish back catalogue is the most enticing

Have to say I never thought I'd get to a third "end of year best of" list but I have !!


As usual, and in alphabetical order:

• Alcest - Shelter
• Insomnium - Shadows of the Dying Sun
• Myrkur - Myrkur
• New Model Army - Between Wine and Blood
• Queen - Live at the Rainbow
• The Secret Sisters - Put Your Needle Down
• Shovels and Room - Swimmin' Time
• Smoke Fairies - Smoke Fairies
• Snowbird - Luna (RX Gibbs remixes)
• Wolves in the Throne Room - Celestite

Of course there are a couple of big gaps in that list..... My pre-order of the Blueneck album King Nine hasn't arrived yet and Christmas may yet bring a Pink Floyd shaped present

Not really a review but Pallas are back with a new album called wearewhoweare.

The band have released a 4 minute mix featuring some of the songs of the album and very promising it sounds - quite heavy and almost Muse like in places....



Additionally the artwork that comes with the preview is just stunning



          

Scandinavia has a lot to answer for when it comes to my music collection.....


Firstly their is Myrkur with her self titled mini album. Full of blast beat drumming and icy guitar this is pure Norse black metal but from the fevered imagination of one Danish woman.....


Vocals are minimal but there are occasional pastoral female voices making this a cross between a church recital and the sounds of hell. If Myrkur is responsible for the drums here then she is on a par with Iggor Cavalera or Dave Lombardo though I suspect a drum machine may be in use....


The highlight is Nattens Barn with melody and brutality fighting for the ascendancy - Quite a stunning debut










 Secondly there is Solstafir from Iceland who have released my song of the year. Otta is a nine and a half minute journey through some very odd minds.


The song is underpinned by a repeating banjo refrain whilst slowly building like some post rock epic. There are echoes of Mogwai and Blueneck but this is very singular in its sound. Half way through it just sort of stops with only washes of keyboard and guitar confirming the song is still going. Like listening to a glacier moving but then the banjo returns and the music rises again.
The voice strains towards a crescendo while violins join in and suddenly it's over....


And did I forget to mention it's all sung in Icelandic ?

Ah, the return of Shovels & Rope is most welcome.... Swimming Time is a much different album though to the stunning debut of O' be Joyful


Whereas the debut was a thrilling ride akin to drinking moonshine at a hillbilly wedding the follow up feels like drowning your sorrows with an after hours bourbon after realising you really did marry your cousin....


The Devil is All Around is a very downbeat opener but all the ingredients are there from the banjo, harmonies and what sounds like a home made drum kit....


Evil does what the title say - huge slabs of ominous down tuned organ and an insistent piano until it all give way to the first earworm chorus of the album Fish Assassin on the other hand is a less than 2 minute blast based on nothing but hand claps and a bit of percussion..... "making noise with the alligator boys" indeed


Stono River Blues adds another killer chorus with the addition such full on electric guitar while Ohio goes full out with horns borrowed straight from a Mardi Gras parade


Mary Ann and One Eyed Dan is the closest song in feel to the debut album, a sort of twisted doo-wop version of Jack & Diane.....


The final song is called Thresher and over 7 minutes deals with the slightly depressing story of a crippled submarine sinking to the bottom of the ocean. The background choir almost give it a gospel feel and as the song fades only the ping of the submarine is left to slowly disappear over the final 45 seconds. - Perfection


The album ends a lot stronger than it starts but this is still another quality release from a very talented duo.