It took me a long while to warm up to black metal, because of the fact that it’s a hard genre to warm up to! Created up there in frozen tundra of Norway, the music illicit nothing but cold chilly feelings, not to mention that it’s completely diabolical and it’s practioners have crossed several societal lines or two. Darkthrone is a band that has allowed me to view this wicked sub-genre of metal from the periphery without full indulging in it’s violent excess. First off, ABITNS is not your typical white noise, reverb drenched type of music usually associated with the Norwegians. Darkthrone originated as a death metal band and slowly progressed to the minimal drumming and guitar tremolo-picking style they later incorporated in “Transylvanian Hunger”. ABITNS has a very strong hard rock feel, particularly with the drumming which has allot of time changes, drum rolls, as well has blast beats and double kicks. In fact this has as much to do with Joy Division, Goth and punk as it does to later day Norwegian Black metal, which makes it a great choice for anyone interested in sampling this type of music. This is an energetic, innovative hard-rocking metal record. 4/5.
January 21, 2009
Santana – Lotus Review
This double live cd is an example of a visionary guitarist, being “on”. Unfortunately, this set if often misunderstood by many Santana fans throughout the many years. Early fans of his rock period, Santana I, Abraxas and III dislike the jazziness and the harsh angular tone of Carlo’s guitar. Newer fans dislike this for the same reason. Regardless, Lotus finds Carlos Santana at his creative peak, touring Japan with the new Santana Band, which included keyboardist Tom Coaster in exchange for Greg Rollie. Following his project with John McLaughlin, “Love, Devotion and Surrender” and the release of Miles Davis “Bitches Brew”, Santana and band made a larger commitment to longer instrumental arranged songs that were complex and integrate. Carlos, always amazing, is at his best live, and his powers and technique are at full display here. If a Santana fan, this is an essential acquisition. New fans should start with “Abraxis” and “Carvanerai” in order to appreciate full the creative peak Santana had scaled for this live set.4/5