2014 - A Look Ahead

So, we've just summarized 2013, no it's time to look a head!

Already it seems like 2014 is promising to be a really good as well in music. There are some albums that have been announced that I have high hopes for, and then there are some albums that haven't yet been announced but that I hope will get released,

Here are a few of the highlights to look forward too:
Tool - When will we see the follow up to the brilliant "10 000 Days"? Next year it will be eight years since the last album and the next album will be the fifth in the bands 20+ years career, they're not the most productive band to say the least...

Foo Fighters - It looks like Foo Fighters will release a new record next year, "Wasting Light" from 2011 was one of the best albums the band has released yet, and that is saying a lot!

Opeth - I haven't seen anytrhing confirmed so far, but a follow up to the 2011 release "Heritage" seems logical. It will be very interesting to see which direction Åkerfeldt takes his band on this one.

Mastodon - Mastodon is another band that I'm really anxious to see where they are headed with the next album. After the masterpiece of "Crack The Sky", they made a "little-bit-of-everything-album" with "The Hunter". A new Mastodon album is always something special though!

Iron Maiden - Do we dare hope for a new album in 2014? They probably won't have time to record it so maybe for 2015? And will this be the last album of their career?

Mogwai - Mogwai is one of the first albums to be released in late January. They just keeps getting better and better so this oughta be good!

Beck - It is always interesting what this man will come up with! The new album is set for a February release.

And there are of course tons of other great albums to be released in 2014. It looks like it could be a good year,,,

Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion

I finally got my hands on this piece of vinyl. I've been expecting this release for YEARS!

Ever since I heard the news about a possible collaboration between Steven Wilson (of Porcupine Tree among others) and Mikael Åkerfeldt (of Opeth among others) a couple of years ago I've had high hopes for this project.

These two guys are responsible for some of the greatest music produced in the 00's in their respective bands and some side projects.

This is the self titled debut album of the side project between Åkerfeldt and Wilson. They call themselves "Storm Corrosion.

One thing to have in mind when listening to this album (and this, the guys have been really clear about in interviews) is that this is just two talented musicians with similar taste in music, that has got together to make something together, without any thought to make a record at first. After hearing the first song from the album, "Drag Ropes", I got a little suspicious over the music that they had recorded. I expected something completely different (what that was, I'm not entirely sure, this wasn't it though...).

I haven't given that songs too many listens after that first one and I haven't heard anything else from the band until a few days ago when I finally got the vinyl.

This is really a special record and the music is really hard to describe. It's not a "easy listening" album to say the least, there is no clear rhythm and not a lot of guitars either. Sometimes it's more "sound" than it is a song, if you know what I mean? As I said, it's not easy to describe what is being served on this record.

I feared that this record was gonna be too impossible to listen to and that it was gonna be too "special". It's not though. It might not be what I had expected but it's an interesting listen from two brilliant musicians with an experementing ore.

The last song on the album, "Ljudet Innan" (the sound before), is probably the best one and you can almost hear a melody to it!

2011 best of list.

So my "best of the year" project turned out to be a little bit over ambitious. When you work full time and you've got a baby in the house time is quite limited. I decided to pu together a list of the ten best albums from last year. I won't rank them, but put them in alphabetical order.

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Tao Of The Dead

The Black Keys - El Camino

Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Danava - Hemisphere Of Shadows

Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

The Haunted - Unseen

M83 - Hurry Up We're Dreaming 

Mastodon - The Hunter

Opeth - Heritage

PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

Opeth - Heritage

No, I can't wait any longer!! It's being released tomorrow but I won't have it on vinyl until earliest Friday I think. When I pre-ordered the album from the official website I was promised a download code of the entire album the day before it's release.

Today I got two e-mails with a download code in each (I ordered two versions so if anyone wants a code just get in touch:)) and I've just added the album to my iPod so now I'll go to bed and listen to Heritage in my headphones for the first time! I'm excited!!

What a day!

Two of my most anticipated this year are from my metal favourites Opeth and Mastodon who are both releasing new albums this fall.

Today both bands released the first songs from their respective albums.

Here you'll find Opeth's song "The Devil's Orchard" from the upcoming album "Heritage", which will feature only clean singing. The second album Opeth has released without growls.

And here's the new Mastodon track:

Opeth record store day release.

The 16th of April marked the fourth year of the "Record Store Day", celebrating independent record stores such as The Garden for example.

On this day there are several releases that are supposed to be available only on this day. I've got my self two of these releases. The first one I've already written about (the Foo Fighters "Medium Rare" vinyl). The second one I got I had to order of of Discogs as I wasn't able to get it in the store.

The release is the second 7" vinyl release from Opeth. The song featured is "The Throat Of Winter" which was featured in the video game God Of War and on the soundtrack of said game. It has only been available as an mp3 download earlier so it's about time it saw a "real" release.

The song is quite different from anything that Opeth has ever done before and the singer and main songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt said that this is what he was aiming for so I guess he succeeded.