I've always been a fan of Jazz/Swing so seeing it adapted with Electronica wasn't a stretch for me to enjoy! Though the music video's definitely one of those "Welp that happened"
I have a new genre I'm into. Also, to make this song even more metal, it's a traditional folk song to raise the spirits of your ancestors to help you in battle against your enemies. I think we can all get behind that.
Lacuna Coil released their 8th album, Delirium about a month ago at this point. Been listening to this quite a bit recently. I know, I know, they have that pop metal feeling about them, but they're a guilty pleasure for me. I really love fusions of melody and metal in general, and the duality of vocalists Cristina and Andrea bring that for me. They've seen big changes to the lineup as of late (seems to be an annual theme of many of the bands I follow), but it doesn't really seem to hold them back. Speaking to the technical qualities of the music, Lacuna Coil hasn't ever really been a band that blows me away with the brutal sounds of metal. To their credit, I will say that much of it sounds noticeably heavier than what they've done than just about anything they've done, but they definitely aren't Arch Enemy (during the Angela-era, of course). Don't go into this expecting face melting solos or mind-rattling double-bass firing all cylinders. While this album does steer them back towards the metal roots they began with (rather than the hard rock sound that they've gravitated more towards the last few years), you won't really find that here. The instrumentals don't negatively contribute to the album, but they've always been more of a garnish for the vocals with Lacuna Coil. While not bad, they aren't innovating, and they don't do anything exceptionally impressive. They're there, and they jive thematically. What you will find though, is that they tie together with the vocals to create a sort of hypnotic sound that gets in your head and stays there. If you heard and liked them before, I think you'll be pleased with the release. If you haven't heard of them before, or maybe didn't find them to your liking in the past, I'd say that Delirium is worth a listen if for no other reason than it has some qualities that can appeal to many different tastes. Delirium and House of Shame are two singles released off of the album, but I'd like to call your attention to a few of my favorite tracks off of the album:
I've always been a fan of Lacuna Coil. I didn't realize that a new album was out. Listening now. Like the opening riffs thus far.
Only three songs into this album, but I like it. Not quite as down and heavy as some of the older albums, yet it still is, at the same time. New direction for Gojira, which is also unmistakably Gojira.
As you might be aware, I love melodic death metal. Oh how I love it. A couple of years back I stumbled on Be'Lakor when I found out they were touring with At the Gates. As of about two weeks ago they dropped their fourth album: Vessels. I really like these guys; it's a shame they haven't toured in the US as far as I know. Anyways, if you've ever heard Insomnium before (another one of my favorite bands in the genre), these guys have a very similar vibe. They take their time with their work. Most of their songs are in the 7-9 minute range rather than 3-4. They go through pretty great efforts to incrementally build an atmosphere, and they do so to great effect. Vessels still showcases that melancholy feel that you would expect from the quintet, but it also brings in these occasional, and really well done, progressive bits that flow very well with the rest of their sound. It doesn't really stand out in harsh contrast. Rather, it seems to underline that the band can flawlessly integrate a range of sound into their work. I really enjoyed hearing it. Technically speaking, they have so many cool elements in this album. They have everything from the melancholy grave growls, to amazingly executed tempo changes throughout the album. There's this haunting charm in how well they can go from slow and deliberate verses right into franticly-paced, dexterous, riffs without missing a beat. While the album itself isn't a departure from their previous sound, they have introduced enough dinstinctive elements that I feel as though they breathed new life into their work. In short, I fucking loved this album. For me it's a pretty solid 9-9.5/10. If you like melodic death metal, or want to become more familiar with the genre, I highly recommend this album. This is my biggest recommendation track off the album. It has this amazing guitar piece in it that you hear a few times throughout. It's been stuck in my head for days. Here's another great track from the album. Unlike most of the others, this one starts a bit quicker than the others, but it still has a really cool build to it.
