STACK February 2017 Issue 148

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Japandroids Near To The
Wild Heart Of Life
The poetic nonsense that made
Japandroids’ first two albums so
exquisitely inscrutable is gone on
Near To The Wild Heart Of Life. In
its place is naked pop lyricism about
bars and cars and last calls and
long nights that only furthers their
goal of becoming the pop-punk
Bruce Springsteens. Some things
stay the same: drummer David
Prowse is still there, wailing on the
tubs and whoa-ohing on the mics,
and North American highways still
set the scene for King’s search
for meaning. But musically, they
broaden way out: around their usual
power chord barrage is everything
from country jangle to synth-rock.
If Celebration Rock mirrored the
optimism of its time, Wild Heart
mirrors the mood of its era too:
more sombrr, searching, and finding
hope in small victories.
(Inertia) Jake Cleland
Dirty Projectors
Dirty Projectors
Dirty Projectors’ mission is to
decontextualise and reassemble,
resulting in records that blend
the cut-and-paste sensibilities
of hip hop and mash-up culture
with conventional songwriting,
underpinned by Dave Longstreth’s
vocals. Bandmembers have come
and gone but Longstreth remains
at the front, this time leaning hard
on the boyband crooning that’s
always existed in his voice. The
absence of Amber Coffman and
Angel Deradoorian’s vocals are felt
strongly, but the ghost of the former
lingers in Longstreth’s heartbreak
songs, and record highlights Up In
Hudson and Little Bubble. That the
album is self-titled suggests a return
to first principles – it’s a hard reboot
that promises this franchise has got
life left in it yet.
(Domino) Jake Cleland
Kreator
Gods Of Violence
A new Kreator album will always
be of interest to me, but it also
arrives with a lack of excitement
because I know what to expect.
The truth is, Gods Of Violence
is interchangeable with any of
its predecessors, be it Phantom
Antichrist, Hordes Of Chaos or
Enemy Of God. 2001’s Violent
Revolution reenergised the band
and it appears that Kreator has
been rewriting said album over
and over again. Gods Of Violence
has all the qualities many admire
in the band – the riffs, the melody
and Mille Petrozza’s acid filled
vocal attack – but it’s hardly
inspired. Gods Of Violence is solid;
no more, no less.
(Nuclear Blast/Caroline)
Simon Lukic
Dune Rats The Kids Will
Know It's Bullsh-t
Who's Scott Green? Couldn’t tell
you. Who’s got sweet suburban-
stoner tunes? Dune Rats, that’s
who. Produced by FIDLAR
frontman Zachary Carper, The
Kids Will Know It’s Bullsh-t is LA
surfers meets Brisbane punks.
Lyrically, The Dunies don’t stretch
themselves too far. Does it really
matter though, when frontman
Danny Beusa chants "My brother
bought us a six pack” (6 Pack) over
chocky power chords? Buzz-kill
and current single Scott Green
are rowdy fun, although live is
where these ones will really shine.
Braindead will bring your steering
wheel drummer fingers out and
Bullsh-t will leave you craving a
weekend tinnie. To quote someone
famous, “Do yourself a favour".
(Warner)Tim Lambert
Run The Jewels RTJ3
The hip hop collaboration of Atlanta
legend Killer Mike and Brooklyn
production wizard/rapper Jaime
“El-P” Meline shows no sign of
slowing down. Their latest record
is raging against the machine,
the establishment and anybody
else that gets in their way. El-P’s
production is more ambitious
than ever before; it’s more layered
than the first two records and
hits every peak and pit perfectly.
Stand-out details include the
pinball drumbeat in Call Tickerton
and the percussion in Legend Has
It – speaking of, if the bass line on
the latter wasn’t spawned from the
deepest pits of hell, we need to
redefine pure evil. Closer Kill Your
Masters is a parting shot, a middle
finger to everyone and a rallying
call to all Jewel Runners: run ‘em.
(Sony)Tim Lambert
16 FEBRUARY 2017
Sepultura Machine Messiah
Despite my fandom, my interest
in Sepultura post-Chaos AD has
fallen dramatically. Machine
Messiah has changed things. The
defining factor lies in guitarist
Andreas Kisser putting in the
hard yards to not only deliver
memorable guitar solos – which
are exceptional by the way – but
much-improved riffs that add to
better songs. Another surprise is
Derrick Green’s vocals, which for
the first time, are definitely more
hit than miss. As always there is
a fair amount of experimentation
and the tribal influences aren’t
too far away, but Sepultura has
hit a creative peak with Machine
Messiah. It’s not 1991, but
Sepultura have found their mojo
again and it’s impressive.
(Nuclear Blast/Caroline)
Simon Lukic
Meat Wave
The Incessant
Dayum, this is one seductive
cocktail of punk rock influences.
Heavy on fizz and way stronger
than you were prepared for,
sipping at Meat Wave’s newie The
Incessant makes you feel rather
dark and dangerous. Legendary
engineer Steve Albini has lent
his considerable talents to make
this concoction of Hot Snakes
meets Radioactivity meets
The Breeders sound nice and
dishevelled without losing the
crisp percussion or incessant,
angular riffage. Delivering such an
inspired new album just two years
after their previous, impressive
effort Delusion Moon suggests
Meat Wave have no shortage of
ideas or initiative. Keep an eye on
this band.
(Side One Dummy/Cooking
Vinyl) Emily Kelly
The Menzingers
After The Party
There’s something in Menzingers
singer Tom May’s familiar vocals
that just feels like home. Like the
sound of your bestie screaming
their lungs out next to you at a
gig, they’re carefree and totally
joyous in their lack of restraint. The
band's fifth full length After the
Party feels fabulously fresh, and
these Scranton locals still manage
to create memorable melodies
with ridiculous ease; it’s only the
sentiment behind the album that
feels just a little worn and well-
used at this point. “This album
is us saying ‘We don’t have to
grow up and get boring’", May has
explained. “We can have a good
time doing what we love”.
(Epitaph) Emily Kelly