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Megadeth
Dystopia
Megadeth were once the most
innovative of heavy metal bands,
and if it wasn’t for guitarist/
vocalist Dave Mustaine, the genre
would not be what it is. His guitar
playing alone helped mould both
Metallica and Slayer’s sounds,
making him an instant legend.
This isn’t the case anymore. For
all the talk,
Dystopia
isn’t a return
to the band's glory days. It’s a
modern day Megadeth album, no
more, no less. If you enjoyed, say,
Endgame
, then you should like
this, but if you’re looking for the
energy that inspired
Rust In Peace
then you'd best look elsewhere.
Despite the hype,
Dystopia
is dys-
appointing.
(Universal) Simon Lukic
Various
Stranded: The Chronicles
of Australian Punk
Punk is probably the most
contentious genre, if not word,
in the modern music industry,
so it’s a pretty bold endeavour to
take on the project of compiling
the ‘Chronicles of Australian
Punk’. That said, Four|Four music
have done so rather deftly. Even
the most discerning old punk
might have trouble criticising
inclusions so broad and well-
researched that they range from
The Saints, Celibate Rifles and The
Eastern Dark, to Blueline Medic,
Mindsnare and The Peep Tempel.
(Four|Four) Emily Kelly
Horror My Friend
Stay In, Do Nothing
Poison City Records’ newest
recruits have considerable hype
to live up to on their debut
album. Reflecting the label’s ever
expanding breadth of sound, these
young Adelaide friends are carving
out their own distinctly dour and
shoegazey corner in the PCR
stable. In this confident swan dive
they ensure hooks nestle in snugly
with '90s indie refrains, and lo-fi
post-punk meets slacker sizzle.
Give this one time to dig its roots
in and enjoy its eventual bloom.
(Poison City Records) Emily Kelly
Abbath
Abbath
After a bitter parting with Immortal
in 2015, black metal’s most
iconic frontman Abbath returns
with his new band. It has been
seven years since Immortal’s
last outing and
Abbath
is sure
to satisfy fans. As expected, the
Norwegian black metal sound
pulses furiously from each song,
and while the riffs, arrangements
and Abbath’s charismatic vocals
are instantly recognisable, there is
a greater emphasis on melody and
hooks. Those of you who enjoyed
Abbath’s side project will find that
same traditional metal vibe here,
giving
Abbath
a diversity not found
on any of Immortal’s recordings.
(Season of Mist/Rocket) Simon Lukic
Johnny Cash
Man In Black:
Live In Denmark 1971
More Johnny Cash? Yes, please.
Cash was one of very few artists
who had a natural connection
with the people. Riding high in
1971 with a string of successful
singles and the popular TV series
The Johnny Cash Show
, this is
Johnny in his prime.
Man In Black
was originally recorded for Danish
television, and with his trusty trio
The Tennessee Three, his wife
and duet partner June Carter
Cash, Mother Maybelle with
Carter sisters Anita and Helen, and
touring buddies Carl Perkins and
The Statler Bros, you just can’t go
wrong. Sing it to us, Johnny!
(Sony) Denise Hylands
Slim Dusty
The Den Tapes
Slim Dusty is the iconic and
undisputed Australian King of
Country. Coinciding with the
opening of The Slim Dusty Centre
and Museum in Kempsey (New
South Wales) is the release of this
discovered gem of recordings.
Found by accident on a single
cassette, here are 10 songs Dusty
recorded in his small home office
‘den’, sometime in the late ‘90s.
These traditional Australian songs
represent the music he grew
up listening to on the radio and
gramophone on the farm as a
young boy. Previously unreleased
and unheard, this is Dusty
unplugged; a chance to spend
some special time with Slim and
his guitar. Pure joy.
(EMI) Denise Hylands
STREAMYOUR FAVOURITE ALBUMS AT JBHI-FI NOW... NOW!
Lush
Chorus
It was the best of times, it was the daftest of
times. Somewhere between "shoegaze" and
"Britpop", the lunatics of the UK music press took
over the asylum in a hyperbolic attempt to sell
papers and make America love them like the Fab
old days. Led by the girlish trills and aquaplaning
guitars of singer-songwriters Miki Berenyi and
Emma Anderson, Lush burbled just beneath the
blokey first division (Blur, Pulp, Suede, Oasis) for
three albums and a handbag of EPs, before the horror of drummer Chris
Acland's 1996 suicide. These five discs span an archetypal story of naïve
enthusiasm cloaked in the uncertain waft of early EPs, rising by degrees
of songwriting craft, corporate interference and media suggestion, to the
blunt sexual politics of their swansong,
Love Life
. It's here Lush makes
most sense as a pop group, between the bracing pub-brawl of
Ladykillers
,
the cute car song
500 (Shake Baby Shake)
, and the atmospheric clincher,
Last Night
.
Melody Maker
hoarders are more likely to argue for
Spooky
(1992), with its buried
vocals awash in dreamy
grungedelic swirls, but each
disc's swathe of B-sides,
demos, mixes (ooh, Kevin
Shields!) and other found
objects will excite "early stuff"
aficionados. The 4AD link
ensures an elegant physical
package (not reviewed), while
the inclusion of Best Of disc
Topolino
makes sure we get
the good stuff twice. Oh
yeah, and they’re back. Stay
tuned.
(4AD) Michael Dwyer
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