Dual Review: John Murphy - 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later OST

Genre: Soundtrack
Name: John Murphy
Album: 28 Days Later OST and 28 Weeks Later OST
"Step 1: Kill the infected. Step 2: Containment. If containment fails, then Step 3: Extermination..."

Soundtracks are often rather dull and unimaginative. However, these two are far from that. Not only is the music exceptionally good, but it also evokes memories of amazingly well written scenes.

Like much of the internet, I am somewhat of a zombie-apocalypse aficionado. I have a plan for escaping from zombies in any place I might be (at the moment, it consists of running down to the compound where the guns are kept, stocking up on small arms, and then securing transport in order to make it to the nearby NATO headquarters, and recieve support and arms and food from there). When the zed finally arrive (and they will arrive), I am fairly confident that I will be ready for them. Most of this preparation is the result of watching far too many zombie movies (all hail Zombieland!), and these films are but two of those.

For those of you who have not seen these two movies, they are as follows. 28 Days Later consists of Cillian Murphy awakening in a deserted hospital, and discovering that, whilst he has been in a coma, a virus has infected the population, turning them into mindless hordes of the undead. Upon accidentally irritating a few of The Infected, he runs to safety, and some new-found friends kindly blow up a petrol station to save him. They then, after a few plot twists, proceed up to Manchester, or thereabouts, by taxicab, seeking "the solution for infection". Needless to say, not all goes well.
28 Weeks Later is the next in the series, but has no returning characters. The American army have come in to the deserted Britain, with the infected all starved to death, and set up a "quarantined green" zone on the Isle of Dogs. However, again, the plan goes awry, and there are several excellent scenes full of pathos, and some cool sniping.
Both films are rather awesome, and I would definately recommend watching them (they're Danny Boyle's work, if that's an incentive). In a more relevant vein, however, the soundtracks are even more impressive than the films. Since both albums are similar in style and result (with, as one would expect, recurring motifs in the pair of soundtracks), I need only to go into detail on one, and have chosen the original.

The 28 Days Later OST was composed by John Murphy, of Sunshine fame, and cover a wide variety of styles. The predominant style - or, at least, the one that is retained most readily by my mind - is the use of distorted guitars, but it is far from the only one employed. There are developments on Fauré's Requiem in D Minor and Bach, for instance, and use of Anglican hymns, in conjunction with the synth-dominated tunes of "A.M. 180". The effect of this range is to provoke a spectrum of emotions, from euphoric bliss to abject despair. However, without a doubt one piece stands out - "In The House - In A Heartbeat". It is brilliantly composed, makes excellent use of dynamics, and is simple, yet so very effective. If you listen to nothing else from this, listen to that one track. It is the epitome of Murphy's work - indeed, he has chosen to reuse that piece in a variety of films, notably Kickass (he did a similar thing with Sunshine's score) - and very much worth a listen.


Summary: Pathos-ridden soundtracks from zombie-killin' movies.
Rating: 9/10
Track listing:

28 Days Later OST:

1. The Beginning
2. Rage
3. The Church
4. Jim's Parents (Abide With Me)
5. Then There Were 2
6. Tower Block
7. Taxi (Bach's Ave Maria
8. The Tunnel
9. A.M. 180
10. An Ending (Ascent)
11. No More Films
12. Jim's Dream
13. In Paradisum (Faure's Requiem in D minor)
14. Frank's Death
15. I Promised Them Women
16. The Search For Jim
17. Red Dresses
18. In The House - In A Heartbeat
19. The End
20. Season Song
21. End Credits

28 Weeks Later OST:
1. 28 Theme
2. Welcome to Britain
3. Helicopter Chase
4. Fire-bombing London
5. Theme 1
6. Walk to Regents Park
7. Kiss of Death
8. Don Abandons Alice
9. London Deserted
10. Go Go Go!
11. Theme 2
12. Knock Knock - Cottage Attack
13. Night Watch
14. Code Red
15. Going Home
16. Tammy Kills Her Dad
17. Crowd Breaks Out
18. Outbreak
19. Leaving England
20. End Credits (Theme 3)

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Oranssi Pazuzu - Muukalainen Puhuu

Genre: Psychadelic Black Metal
Name: Oranssi Pazuzu
Album: Muukalainen Puhuu, 2009
...The Spaceman says "Everybody look down, it's all in your mind"...

Well, I think it's obvious that the first thing about this band that caught my eye was the name which is, to say the least, interesting (translated, it means "Orange Pazuzu", Pazuzu being a babylonian demon king of the winds, with a serpentine ahem phallus). However, I have higher standards for inclusion in this documentation of metallic awesomeness than merely an amusing name, and, fortunately, Oranssi Pazuzu have this in spades.

The album's meaning is "The Alien Speaks", and this, combined with the cover that is eerily reminiscent of Vashta Nerada, gives a great idea as to the sound of this album: it sounds like the musical outpouring of one of Scooby-Doo's space-suit-clad, manically-laughing, helium-addicted enemies. It is filled with high-pitched keys, jumping at odd intervals and tremolo guitar, used very effectively to create a slightly menacing and quite haunting atmosphere. Not being fluent in Finnish, I can not comment on the lyrical content, only the delivery, which is not particularly passionate, but well executed. The one criticism I have of this album is that the drums are not particularly imaginative, however, they are by no means dull. All in all, it is an odd, but interesting album, with a decent amount to be said for it.

Summary: What happens when you give Spooky Space Kook a guitar
Lyrical Themes: "The dark corners of space and the mind"
Rating: 8/10
Track listing:
1. Korppi - Raven
2. Danjon Nolla - Danjo's Zero
3. Kangastus 1968 - Mirage 1968
4. Suuri Pää Taivaasta - The Great Head From Heaven
5. Myöhempien Aikojen Pyhien Teatterin Rukoilijasirkka - The Praying Mantis of the Theatre of Latter-day Saints
6. Dub Kuolleen Porton Muistolle - Dub to the Memory of a Dead Whore (of Babylon)
7. Muukalainen Puhuu - Alien Speaks
8. Kerettiläinen Vuohi - Heretic Goat

Myspace
Download - coming soon! (well, -ish...)

Butterfly Convict - Eponymous EP

Genre: Alternative / Progressive Rock
Name: Butterfly Convict
Album: Butterfly Convict EP, 2010
I found this EP somewhat... arresting

Well, Coheed & Cambria are currently doing a promotion of various bands made by their fans, and so Butterfly Convict appeared on my radar with this 37-minute exposition, which is not particularly atrocious; They're from Long Island, but other than that they're actually quite good.

Musically, the five piece is interesting, with interesting song structures; for example the opening track, Opus One, has two very different verse riffs, thus bringing into dispute whether it is a verse or not. Vulpic has two seperate choruses. Tension Grid has about 5 different verse styles. There are, in addition, many excellent riffs. The vocalist, while he at first seemed to be a little shipshod, actually grew on me the more I listened, and on the whole is rather good

It is worth noting, however, that the band has recently expanded from a four-piece to a five-piece, with the drummer taking up the duties of second guitarist, with the intention, according to Ross, the drummer-cum-guitarist, to "fill out our sound more and create complimenting guitar parts", which will certainly enhance the music, I feel. This should give their next release a more interesting flavour, which I am certainly looking forward to.

Lyrically, it is somewhat of a mixed bag - there are several moments of poetic excellence: "This spark of different colours; / A vulpic flare." (Vulpic) and "Sleep, baby, sleep. / Til the demons have gone away. / They prowl the night in search of loving homes." and the iambic "It's time to tame the Tension Grid" (both from Tension Grid) strike me as brilliant. However, there is the somewhat clichéd political song, with the immortal (in as much as that they just won't die) lines "While the rich stay rich & the poor get poorer." (Break My Faith). However, this is their first release; you must give them time to find their feet.

However, as you reach the end of the up-til-then mediocre EP, you find Tension Grid, which is much more of a magnum opus than Opus One was. At 12 minutes, it makes up about a third of the time, but is by far the best song: lyrically excellent, musically more diverse and interesting and in general just rather good. Here, everything fits together a lot better, nothing seems contrived (although there are a couple of moments of atrocious cheesiness) and you can see why Coheed & Cambria felt that they could promote them - indeed, this song sounds very much like the aforementioned band both melodically (to a certain extent) and structurally, and the lyrics, whilst on a completely different subject, hold an air that is not too dissimilar from Sanchez's works. It is for this reason that I felt this EP worth a few moments of your time.

Summary: An interesting final song, making an otherwise common-or-garden EP much more worthwhile.
Lyrical Themes: Love, politics and Tension Grids
Rating: 7/10

Track listing:
1. Opus One
2. Vulpic
3. Break My Faith
4. Catharsis
5. Tension Grid

Bandcamp
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Gravity

Genre: Alternative Rock
Name: Gravity
Album: Demos, 2011

Plugs are shocking...

Greetings,

I haven't posted in a while because I've been on an "in-tents" military overnight for a while, and have a lot of work at the moment. However, I now am at liberty to give you a variety of musical treats, starting with this one.

Now, I'll come clean - this is somewhat of a plug. Gravity are not my band, but they are the band of a friend of mine, who has rather exceptional musical taste; we're currently planning to go to see Dream Theater in the summer. As a result, now that they have some recorded material, I felt obliged to put up their demos as somewhat of an advertisement for them. Note, however, that I am doing this of my own accord, and have not been put up to it by anyone, and nor would I give you anything that I didn't think was worth a listen myself.

However, rest assured that this is not just your run-of-the-mill teenage band who will soon fizzle into nothing; quite the contrary, I believe. They have, despite being in their infant stages, already performed with one Reginald D. Hunter, an exceptional comedian who has appeared on Have I Got News For You several times, amongst other things. They are, I believe, On The Way.

They have an interesting musical background - the primary songwriter cannot read music, but plays the piano by ear, and can "sweep-pick" its entire 8 octaves blindfolded, but has never had formal teaching. The drummer is also an excellent guitarist, and has somewhat detailed knowledge of the technical side of musical equipment, having made amplifiers in the shape of a deathbat before. In addition, he is an exceptional guitarist. Musically, they are somewhere in the orbit of Muse - not quite progressive, and not quite avant garde, but tending towards both of those areas. There are hints of jazz, metal and various other genres. In short, they are certainly worthy of a quarter of one of your earth hours to listen to these four tracks.

Track listing:
Starfire
City Of Angels
Aerodynamic
Into Blue

They can be heard and downloaded for free here.

Demenzia - Faces (single)

Genre: Death Metal
Name: Demenzia
Two-faced bands...


Greetings.

Not much for you this time, I'm afraid; I have but a single to offer you. However, the astute amongst you will have noted the unusual choice of genre, for me at least, so clearly all is not lost.

Demenzia originally were a doom metal band, which is how they appeared on my radar. However, when I listened to their single on youtube, I found death metal - but good death metal. As a result, I shall share it with you. Enjoy the keyboards!

Rating: 8/10

Track listing:
1. Faces

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Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here

Genre: Prog, New Prog
Name: Anathema
Album: We're Here Because We're Here, 2010
No more are they subject to the Anathema...

Anathema, one of the original Peaceville three, never really seemed to hold a place in my heart as a really good band. This was for a number of reasons, partly my annoyance that they gave up being a doom metal band, as did Paradise Lost, with only My Dying Bride retaining, in my eyes, some form of integrity; I perceived that the others had sold out. As a result, I didn't follow either career with a great deal of interest, which is why it's taken close to a year for me to actually listen to this release.

Certainly, it is nothing like the original Anathema. It bears little or no resemblance to An Iliad of Woes or Serenades, with their low-tuned guitars and heavy atmosphere. But that is because it is now a completely different genre. Anathema, once the pioneers of doom metal, are now not even part of that scene.

I'll admit that this is old news for many of you; they've been drifting this way since Eternity. However, for those readers who were not aware of the band's history, I felt it important to make this clear. This album, I think, is somewhat of the antithesis of doom metal, and therefore, once you know the background, the inception of Anathema's career, it bears witness to their excellent talent as musicians, that they are capable of composing music in such a wide variety of styles.

This album, I feel, is the epitome of New Prog, a combination of progressive metal and rock with alternative music, and showcased in bands like Coheed And Cambria and The Mars Volta. The album showcases this excellently, combining heavy sections that are indubitably metal with light, atmospheric sections that would be hard pushed to be called rock. As a result, you have an album which fills the roles both of background and foreground music, something you put on and also something you listen to.

It comes, of course, with an extensive credentials. My first thoughts of this album were that it sounded like a heavier version of Porcupine Tree, and I was not mistaken in my sensing of Steven Wilson's hand in this work (He, and Jordan Rudess, seem to be appearing on everything I listen to at the moment) - he produced and mixed the album. On the exceptionally well-written keyboards, you find Les "Lecter" Smith, of Cradle Of Filth (Specifically, he was on, amongst others, the album Cruelty And The Beast, one of their best). Beyond this, you have the Finnish singer Ville Valo making a guest appearence on Angels Walk Among Us. And, of course, you have the Cavanagh trio and the Douglases making up Anathema. In short, it has got an excellent cast.

Musically, it's very well good. There are a range of vocal styles and vocalists, combined with the occasional use of samples, all of which combine to carry the album. The guitar work is excellent, as is the bass. The drumming is very well done, at times the background and at times leading the piece. But the keyboards are by far the best instrument in this album, creating excellent atmospheres and stunning music. To point any track out as the best would be to undermine any others, and it is their role as an album that makes We're Here Because We're Here so great. Each song is brought in by the one before it and carries into the one after it so gracefully and elegantly to say that any individual piece is better than any other is to say that you like that corner of the painting more than anything else within it. It is the painting as a whole, the album as a whole, that is so excellent, and why this one is worth a listen.

Summary: A must for Porcupine Tree fans; brilliant new prog.
Lyrical Themes: the philosophical and actual roles of love and the fragility of human life.
Rating: 8/10

Track listing:
1. Thin Air
2. Summernight Horizon
3. Dreaming Light
4. Everything
5. Angels Walk Among Us
6. Presence
7. A Simple Mistake
8. Get Off, Get Out
9. Universal
10. Hindsight

Website
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Ava Inferi - The Silhouette

Genre: Doom, Funeral
Name: Ava Inferi
Album: The Silhouette, 2007
The Hell of Birds

Once again, I didn't post something at the weekend. This was a combination of concerts, paintballing and sheer laziness. Still, I got round to it eventually

Whilst searching for tickets to see My Dying Bride this summer in London, I came across the opening act, Ava Inferi. A little research later, and I thought they'd be worth a listen, especially since they described themselves as "soul" on their myspace page. However, whilst that aspect was clear to see on the one song provided, I did not find it so with this album - certainly they were doom, but no other label can be moulded to their shape, I feel.

The Silhouette was certainly worth a listen, however. For a start, somewhat unusually for doom metal bands, there are only clean, female vocals throughout this album, which adds for a bit of variety amongst other such bands - indeed, there is even a purely vocal song, Oathbound, which features a slightly odd choir. In addition, the piano, so often overused by doom bands, makes only a brief appearance here, but is used very well in The Dual Keys. The guitars consistently play decent riffs, and the drums avoid standard and dull rhythms, notably on Viola. All in all, it seems very good.

However, there are a couple of minor flaws. Firstly, there is an over-reliance on samples - the album opens with the recording of a beach, which is fine in itself; the very next track, rain begins to patter on something like corrugated iron (or maybe they've just spilt some frozen peas); later on you find clips of fire, by which point it is getting a bit wearing, and then, towards the end, you can hear sounds of either digging or footsteps or some general sounds from the leaf-litter, which is not only unclear but now nearly downright annoying.

This is really just part of a grander point - although the tracks were individually good, as an album, The Silhouette was not particularly coherent. Take, for example, tracks 7 and 8. La Stanza Nera ends rather abruptly, which isn't a problem, but then Grin Of Winter comes in, with a grating and generally irritating beginning, which would have been far better out of context. This album has the flow of a river, on level ground, in the middle of the desert, during the dry season, and which isn't actually a river, but rather just a large, unmoving rock.


Summary: Good songs, poorly ordered. Listen to it on shuffle.

Lyrical Themes: Nature, Despair, Love, Death

Rating: 6.5/10

Track listing:
1. A Dança das Ondas
2. Viola
3. The Abandoned
4. Oathbound
5. The Dual Keys
6. Wonders of Dusk
7. La Stanza Nera
8. Grin of Winter
9. Pulse of the Earth

Myspace
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Evoken | Beneath The Frozen Soil - Split

Genre: Doom Metal, Drone Metal
Name: Evoken and Beneath The Frozen Soil
Album: Split EP, 2010
Droning on and on and on

Unfortunately, there isn't really enough to say about this for a full review. I had expected very good things from Evoken, and thought that if I reviewed this split, I could talk about Beneath The Frozen Soil too. However, there was actually very little to say.

In this release, at least, Evoken did little to back up their apparant notability and success in the doom metal scene. Although the riffs on the guitar were vaguely interesting, the only change in dynamics or tempo were brought by the drums, which created only a weak illusion of speed - the riff would remain constant, but suddenly the drums would speed up significantly, without any change in melody whatsoever. This, it seemed was their only contribution to the "death" in their supposed "death/doom" tag. I found their music, at least in parts, closer to drone metal than traditional doom - it sounded more like Wreck Of The Hesperus or perhaps some less distorted Moss. This release is possibly not their best, but I cannot say that enjoyed their part in it particularly, as proven by the fact that I began to fall asleep. I will, however, investigate some other works of theirs, to see if they can redeem themselves.

On the other hand, Beneath The Frozen Soil seemed to be the better band, fitting more in the death/doom niche that Evoken had so skillfully avoided. The gutteral vocals were quite good, the guitar not atrocious, but nothing was particularly notable. They are worth a listen, but there is nothing that makes them stand out.

Summary: Fairly dull and unoriginal for the most part, but good "filler" music, if you want
Lyrical Themes: Suffering and Dissillusion
Rating: 5.5/10
Track listing:
Evoken
1. Omniscient
2. The Pleistocene Epoch
3. Vestigial Fears
4. Into the Primal Shrine
Beneath The Frozen Soil
5. Ironlung
6. Monotone Black I
7. Monotone Black II

Myspace Evoken
Myspace Beneath The Frozen Soil

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My Dying Bride - The Lies I Sire

Genre: Death-Doom Metal
Name: My Dying Bride
Album: For Lies I Sire, 2009
Like Gods of the Sunset sounds...

Ironically, for a band I haven't reviewed, I think My Dying Bride are the most mentioned band on here - they feature at least once on 5 different pages, and on all but one of those they are referred to multiple times. Therefore, I thought it only sensible that I should at least give those who have not heard them a chance to have a listen to at least some of their music, and see why I go on about them so much.

Picking which album to review was always going to be a tough decision - their body of work is so expansive, to pick any one limb of it would be to leave the bulk of the corpus untouched and unexplained - should I go for the arm that is Like Gods Of The Sun, with the excellent violin and traditional doom sound? But what about 34.788%... Complete, the experimental brain of their work? And how could I ignore the shining, glorious face that is A Line Of Deathless Kings? There was so much from which to choose, but only one that I could pick. I briefly contemplated a Meisterwerk, but they precede some of my favourites - The Dreadful Hours and Songs Of Darkness, Words Of Light would be ignored, to say the least. Eventually, however, I made my choice.

Prior to my note-taking for this review, it would be a lie to have said that I had listened to For Lies I Sire, My Dying Bride's latest release. I had heard all of the songs, many, many times in most cases, but I had never sat down, put on the CD, turned off the lights, lain down on the floor and just absorbed the music (according to Tom Delonge of Angels and Airwaves, you should listen to albums with just the light of a single candle to see by). So, with notepad in hand, that is just what I did - turned on the album, and closed my eyes. And it was brilliant.

It is not my favourite album of theirs, but then that is like saying that of all the Fender Stratocasters in the world, you dislike that one the most. Aside from their early and more Deathening works, which I enjoy, but not as much as everything from Turn Loose The Swans onwards, I think that every album My Dying Bride have made is a masterpiece in its own right, and this was no exception. Right from the very first track, My Body, a Funeral, which opens with a lone slow guitar riff, and Stainthorpe's plaintive voice in exquisite harmony, you can tell that this album will be exceptional. However, they do not stick to purely slow and doom-laden riffs - the other side of the coin is showcased in the vary next track, Fall With Me, which is faster and heavier, the Death of Death-Doom metal, but without it jarring in the ear. The title track is similarly awe-inspiring, with the same atmosphere of dread and fear, and the album goes on to end, somewhat aptly, with Death Triumphant. Throughout the album, you find tracks of exquisite beauty and pathos interwoven with those of anger and rage, you find smooth curves juxtaposed with jagged edges, and you see harmony and dissonance each play their part in a mystifying but fascinating dance.

Through this dance, however, you can hear other albums, reflections beneath the surface, just occasionally managing to sneak a sound or a face above the water, to let you know that they're still there, that they haven't gone away. This is most noticeable in A Chapter In Loathing, the penultimate track, which begins with the same riff which closed A Line Of Deathless Kings. It's also apparent in other tracks - Bring Me Victory has drums with just smack of those of Apocalypse Woman from 34.788%... Complete, for example. All of those other albums which are the columns of My Dying Bride's temple are still there, if you only listen.

But it's not all the same old stuff, regurgitated just like a puppy that's eaten chocolate - My Dying Bride are not a puppy but a full grown hound, and it turns out that you can teach an old dog new tricks. Santario Di Sangue is a prime example of this - here, for what I believe to be the first time (other than a sample of some rain on The Dreadful Hours), they have used sound effects - specifically, that of a whinnying horse and a spade shovelling the earth, which, for me, at least, brings to mind grave robbery. These are, to some degree, awkwardly positioned - the sudden stop did make me think that they were the start of a new song, rather than the third minute of the current one - but they work well with the shrieking violin, if you can call it that, which isn't instantly identified as an instrument, since it blends so perfectly with the sample.

The lyrics, of course are as excellent as always: Stainthorpe (who is incidentally also an artist, and a rather good one at that - click the link for 12 pages of artistic and gothic nightmares. And a picture of a friend at an exhibition they were at) keeps some of his trademarks - for example, in Echoes From A Hollow Soul, he uses his traditional biblical imagery, talking of "sons of Adam" and "daughters of Eve" (Narnia, anyone?), and in ShadowHaunt there are lines which seem inspired by Wordsworth (specifically, the line "Through forests she walks every day" seems to me to be similar to She Dwelt Among The Untrodden Ways, and Stainthorpe has admitted being inspired by Romantic poetry before). However, he has also kept from his usual erotic verse, not writing (as far as my mind can tell) any of his usual poetic, imaginative, metaphorical and yet sordid but still dignified songs, songs like The Whore, The Cook And The Mother and Le Figilie Della Tempesta.
Besides from lyrics, he also employs a range of vocal styles - in this album, there are clean vocals, two different kinds of death metal grunts, whispers and a choir (whilst technically not him, this does still come under vocals).

So, in conclusion, I feel this was the best album to have chosen not only because I could come to it afresh, not jaded by any previous emotions of the songs, not only because it is an excellent album, with no single moment that seems a mistake, but because it is an excellent introduction to My Dying Bride's magna opera, being a combination of old and new techniques, and thus a good album to post for any newcomer to the Doom metal scene.


Summary: Kings of the doom metal genre once again prove to the baying crowds why they are the rulers of their kingdom
Lyrical Themes: Despair, pain, romance, losing faith
Rating: 10/10 - recommended
Track listing:
1. My Body, A Funeral
2. Fall With Me
3. The Lies I Sire
4. Bring Me Victory
5. Echoes from a Hollow Soul
6. ShadowHaunt
7. Santuario di Sangue
8. A Chapter in Loathing
9. Death Triumphant

Myspace - Although one can easily bring the officialness of this page into question, it has music to listen to.

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Lack of regular post.

No post this weekend; I was out at several gourmet evenings, an art exhibition, a couple of wine tastings, a tour round NASA and a playground with a slide.

Also, the Draconian discography is not up yet because I am still tracking down a couple of LPs. I think I've located them, and they will be up shortly (i.e. hopefully by wednesday).

Anyway, quit whining, I gave you bonus posts last week.