Ufomammut-Oro: Opus Alter

Neurot
2012

Ufomammut released Oro: Opus Primum earlier this year and I was blown away by the the mountain of sound that crushed my ears as I tried to soak in all that album had to offer. I had enjoyed their previous albums and marveled at their talent, but Opus Primum was even more adventurous than their prior work. No sooner had I written my views on this album then I came to find out that a second part of the Oro series was going to come out in the summer. So less than half a year later here we are and part two Oro: Opus Prime falls into my lap. It has some giant footsteps to follow in because the first part was nothing short of spectacular. So once again we get five tracks although the total running time is shorter on this album. The overall sound is similar between the two albums. "Oroborus" opens up as a heavy treading beast with a simple rhythm fueling it's course, but underneath various expansive sounds are simultaneously swirling around as well. It's an exercise in technical skill, but instead shows the band's ability to multi-task and create numerous layers of sound to suck you in. "Luxon" follows a stripped down path with simple notes and beats leading the way plus the spaced out echoes keep the track on course. "Sulpherdew" emerges amidst science fiction induced swirls with a tightly coiled riffs plowing forth pulling support around it as it gains steam growing and mutating into an entity that grabs and holds your attention. This track is heavy and simple by this band's standards, but it's still an amazing song. "Sublime" is a very calculated track where the sounds trickle out in due time. You have to wait for it, but your patience will be rewarded with some very focused bursts that eventually pull you in. "Deityrant" is a creation of pure fuzzed out volume during the first couple of minutes and eventually it launches into buzzing stellar mist that spins around yet still has you ready for what's next. What's next is some ominous hums that signal the end of the album. In many ways this album is more basic than it's predecessor yet it may be heavier and it's just as powerful. This is a certainly a worthy companion piece to the album they released just a few months ago. I am not sure which of these two albums is better but I guess that is something I will have to figured out in a few months when I figure out my top 25 favorite albums of 2012.

Labor day reviewathon count-10 down and done

*I needed to review ten albums by the end of Labor Day or I would have had to listen to Warrant's Cherry Pie. So I dodged that bullet by knocking out all ten with a day to spare.

The seven best hard rock/metal bands of the last seven years

Okay, to celebrate the seventh blogiversary I commited to coming up with a list of what I think are the seven best bands of the last seven years. So that allows us back to mid 2005. My task is selecting what seven hard rock metal bands have produced the best music since then. There were some bands who started that time period well, but have since broken up and that ended their chances (Ogre and Byzantine fall in this cateogry). There were the bands that did something great in the early part of the seven year time period, but  have not followed it up (Acid King, Celtic Frost). So here are my final choices in no real order.

 Ufomammut-This Italian outfit plays a combination of experimental/doom/stoner/noise and they have just gotten better and better with each album. They released my favorite album of 2010 and their current album is my favorite of 2012 so far.

Sigh-I have trouble thinking of Sigh as being a veteran outfit, but with more than 20 years in the business they are. Their sound hasn't as much changed over the years as it has evolved. I enjoy their earlier material, but I am mesmerized by their more recent efforts.

Between the buried and me-A prog band? What was I thinking? Sure, these guys have the technical skills, but the important thing is they put the rock into progressive rock and they are heavy to boot. It's also possible that they have not yet reached their peak.

Admiral Browning-Yes, I know you've probably never heard of them. They are a Maryland trio who play doom/stoner/progressive instrumentals. They are amazing and really mix up the tones and sounds.

Iron Maiden-What? This isn't the 80's, what kind of suck-up fanboy are you, Metal Mark? Stick with me here. Now granted Maiden's output isn't as frequent as they once were. This seven year period has seen them release A matter of life and death (great, one of their best and best album of 2006), The Final Frontier was a top five in it's year plus add in Flight 666 and En Vivo! and you see and hear a band that's still one of the best going.

Hibria-Come on, Metal Mark the list is almost over and not one younger retro-thrash or retro-classic metal or retro-something. Okay, how about Hibria. Unfortunately their "Defying the rules" album falls about eight months before the cutoff, but their other albums are just as good. I could pick someone like Municipal Waste or Enforcer who have done a good job of channeling the vibe of old school metal. However Hibria do that plus they combine classic metal and power metal plus they manage to develop some of their own identity as well.

Gypsy Pistoleros/Gypsy Pistolero-What no glam bands on this list? Easily the best glam band in recent years. Creative, energetic and catchy. The only downside is they have really suffered from being unable to keep a stable line-up.


There you go. Love it, hate it, add own list.

Ufomammut-Oro:Opus Primum

Neurot
2012

Okay this is certainly one of my anticipated releases of 2012. Italy's masters of warped and twisted epic doom return with yet another release. This one follows on the heels of 2010'S eve which by the way was my favorite album of that year. As with previous releases they go for just a few long tracks so I'll tackle them individually. "Empireum" has a majestic yet spacey feel surrounding it. It is defined by a simple yet deliberate build-up of momentum. "Aureum" has a more traditional doom patterns which isn't always characteristic of this band although they can certainly handle it. They put their own stamp on this track and place such an emphasis on every movement."Infearnatural" is a rather noisy display drone with several directions going at once. At just over seven and a half minutes it's the shortest track on the album, but like all of the other songs they fit so many movements and tones into the running time."Magickon" picks up on the same style as the previous track. It is extremely repetitive at first but finds it's way with the different sounds playing off one another. "Mindomine" revolves are a slow pounding march of beats with distant ghostly vocals floating in. In time it hits a medium pace and winds it's way to the end. This album isn't terribly different from what this band has done in the past, but the album is certainly it's entity. Part of the beauty of this band's music is they don't try too hard to create, but rather they just let the sounds and moods flow. Obviously they such faith in their abilities and vision that they don't have to force it, but just let it unfold. Once again another fantastic album from one of the best drone/experimental/doom acts ever.

Ufomammut-Eve

Supernaturalcat/Malleus
2010

The fifth album from Ufomammutis billed as a multi-form 45 minute long single track, structured in 5 main movements. It is also as the title indicates all about the first woman on Earth. Each movement is a sperate part of the whole and each has it's own individual sound. The track include chants, heavy beats and a huge variety of odd noises, sounds and anything else they could push into the mix. The results range from overwhelmingly heavy tp intriguingly bizarre, but the bottom is that everything about this album pulls you in. I found that they reach out far more than on the previous album Idolum. The aspect of this album that impacted me first was the vast worlds that they have created here. It's not like a song streaming out of your stereo, but rather all that they have created will come pouring out of your speakers and instantly overcome you. That is not a simple task, but this band made it sound easy as they plunge ahead. I just kep having the impression of having my senses pounded from many directions all at once. Many of the parts are slow in pace, but styles very from abrasive to beautiful and many in between. Ufomammut didn't just create songs or selctions here, but it's more like they created temporary worlds and they drag us along for the trip. After my first play of "Eve" my jaw dropped and my ears ached, but I was ready to hear it again. Simply an amazing album.