Gareth Dickson-Invisible String

Sleeping Man Records
2014

More often than not doesn't it just seem as if it is the simple things that prove to be the most pleasurable? Whether it's a welcoming smile or the comforting touch of a friend or even the smell of fresh coffee or the way in which rain ends up mesmerizing you as you sit there and stare it is often the small things we treasure most. And that concept holds true when it comes to music. As much as I love complex and creative studio recordings like the Beach Boy's "Pet Sounds" there are moments where I want to be surrounded by the sounds of simplicity. Not necessarily the sounds of simple music (as in noisy, three cord punk), but music that has been stripped of all of it's pretenses and is presented almost as-is. Case in point-"Invisible String". Recorded in 2012 as Gareth Dickson (a artist with a wonderful, fully-engaging range) worked his way across Europe in support of "Quite A Way Away" with sometimes as little as his voice and a guitar, "Invisible String" is not only a stunning collection of live material from this remarkable musician, but a picture-perfect presentation on how oftentimes less can be magically transformed into more! Or in this case how unexpected locations can be used to create awe-inspiring music of the heartfelt and heartwarming variety!. For you see not only was the sincere music on "Invisible String" collected from the "usual" locations (traditional live performances), but from off the wall and (dare I even say it!) odd spots like a apartment lobby in Caen, France! That particular location (along with a handful of other "unexpected" areas) proved to be nothing short of a godsend though as this album is filled to overflowing with the sounds of naked and natural music that is breathtaking in it's simplicity. For this Glasgow-native (who, unjustly or not, often gets compared to Nick Drake), "Invisible String" is a once in a lifetime moment where a man and his instrument(s) work together in perfect harmony. Available on just about every format you could ask for, "Invisible String" is easily one of the most intimate and inspirational live albums of 2014!

Bloodsoaked-Religious Apocalypse

Comatose Music 
2014 

After three years of (studio) silence one-man death metal band Bloodsoaked will make it's return on September 2nd. For fans of Death, Morbid Angel, Obituary, Decide and Cannibal Corpse that should be an important date as this Raleigh, North Carolina project has recorded an album that covers all the bases. New studio material? Yep. That would be "Devouring" , "Abomination" and the title cut. Live material? But of course! How about a few cover tracks to sweeten the deal? Well now, that is where this one really gets interesting! OK, make that awesome! You see Bloodsoaked, a "band" that was formed in 2006 and has three additional full-length releases to it's name, throws in not one, but TWO gems from the hard rock scene of yesterday! Getting the royal (brutal death metal) treatment are Cinderella's "Shake Me" and (a personal favorite of mine) Ratt's "You're In Love"! And for that sole reason I ENTHUSIASTICALLY recommend this upcoming release from Bloodsoaked! That's not to say that the original music that comes from Bloodsoaked is anything but enjoyable. The Brainchild of Peter Hasselbrack* (ex-Archaic Winter, ex-Deslok), Bloodsoaked does brutal death metal just about as well as anyone else. Scratch that. Bloodsoaked does a solid to the death metal scene and then some! As a vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Peter Hasselbrack is in fine form here as he is equally skilled in both areas. The original material offered here falls right in line with the above mentioned acts as Peter does a smash-up job at balancing technical death metal with the more extreme side of the genre. Ending with live versions of "Suicide" , "No God" , "Infestation" and "Grinding Your Guts" (all of which prove this band's ability to pull off it's sound in a live setting!) the new album "Religious Apocalypse" was a pleasant surprise and one that should appease both old fans and new!

*On a side note Peter looks a lot like "The Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff!

You can pre-order "Religious Apocalypse" here:

http://www.comatosemusic.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4892&osCsid=f5hcceibti223spq0q6de4cb03