Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Pornography

Don't usually do food porn but this was exceptional. Preset, 3 course dinner based on the food of the North Atlantic, particularly Iceland, Greenland and the Faeroe Islands. 

The bread was ridiculously hard and served with a grey tasteless butter which didn't really get my expectations going but what followed was nothing less than stunning in terms of taste and presentation. 

Course 1 was a sublime and incredibly fresh Cod topped with fennel, pickled radish, finely chopped herbs and bacon bits paired with a delicate and slightly bubbly juice made of apples and elder flower. 



Course 2 was an Ox steak cooked rare served over a bed of brisket with carrot purée, carrots cooked in butter, shaved cauliflower and herbs paired with butter cooked Danish potatoes and a blueberry and grape juice. 
The final course was an absolutely sublime cinnamon cake with rhubarb sorbet, pickled rhubarb, butter milk foam and jellied rhubarb paired with a really delicate rhubarb juice. 

Off to France and Hellfest tomorrow and so far it's been a perfect holiday. Scored some amazing records, been eating some amazing food and generally being a lazy vegetable. 




Saturday, June 04, 2016

2016... some of it

Seven Sisters of Sleep - Ezekial's Hags
SSoS straddles an uneasy balance between metal extremity and sludge and fail to do justice to both. Ezekial's Hags is like the easy listening version of Death Mask by Lord Mantis. 

Desaster - The Oath of an Iron Ritual
There's something about the opening riff on the first proper song on this album takes me right back to the band's awesome debut 'A Touch of Medieval Darkness'. It isn't long before the chug chug chug kicks in and ruins what could have been quite good. Desaster's been on auto pilot for a while now. Consistent but apart from a few songs on various albums, also kind of boring. If you've never heard them, then listen to the first 2 albums and the Stormbringer EP. The Oath of an Iron Ritual is a bit dull. 

Lord Vicar - Gates of Flesh
This was such a disappointment. Lord Vicar now sounds like a generic Swedish stoner band. Biggest buzzkill of the year. 
signs of osiris

Metal Church - XI
Very shiny production but I'm enjoying this quite a bit. 
reset

Greenleaf - Rise Above the Meadow
Greenleaf reached their creative apex with 'Nest of Vipers' in 2012 which was a distinctly Swedish take on 70s hard rock. Everything’s been downhill since then. 
tree of life


Phazm - Scornful of Icons
Phazm used to be a fun death n roll band with the occasional doomed out bit. Like stoner death metal. On Scornful of Icons the band's playing some pretty generic blackened death metal. Very disappointing. Should have come back with a different name. 
damnation


The Order of Israfel - Red Robes
Red Robes occasionally sounds interesting but is mostly boring.
von sturmer

Voivod - Post Society
Great stuff. Continuing from Target Earth and maybe going one better. One of the highlights of the year.


Bombs of Hades - Death Mask Replica
There's a rock n roll swagger to Death Mask Replica . Enjoyable but i have a feeling it'll also be quite disposable.
to walk through pyres


The Lion's Daughter - Existence is Horror
Sludgy noise rock done really well. This band released an amazing but ignored album called 'The Black Sea' with folk band Indian Blanket which is also worth listening to. Existence is Horror will probably feature highly if I get round to a year end list. 

The Levitation Hex - Cohesion
Another great fucking band that hardly anyone's heard of. Cohesion is maybe a slightly easier listen compared to the debut. Liking this one a lot. 
hipokritikill

Hawkwind - The Machine Stops
This is alright. Not exactly a milestone in the band's career. There's a song on this called Solitary Man that annoys the crap out of me.
solitary man

Karma to Burn - Mountain Czar
Much too short. Doesn't last for more than 25 minutes but Mountain Czar rocks like a motherfucker in that time. K2B continue to kick ass. This is straight forward heavy rock and a worthy follow up to 'Arch Stanton'.




Vektor - Terminal Redux
The last 2 Vektor albums have promised plenty. This new one delivers. Absolutely epic thrash metal that has some great playing backed up by great songs. This album is blowing my mind.

Vektor Bandcamp