The Boys from Irvine

A group that is impossible to say enough about. Everything from their musicianship, to their charity work, is amazing. Thrice, started in '98 by Dustin Kensrue and Teppei Teranishi, is one of my favourites of all time. Teppei brought a friend, Eddie Breckenridge, to play bass, who in turn brought his brother Riley in to play drums. With this they recorded and released their first attempt, only producing 1,000 copies of 'First Impressions' they sold it out of their cars. With interest growing, they released 'Identity Crisis' and were already starting their philanthropic ways with proceeds from their first album release going to charity. Soon they re-entered the studio and recorded 'The Illusion of Safety' in 2002. Again, proceeds from album sales would be going to charity, only this time, the label matched whatever Thrice donated. After making the same deal with Island, they released 'The Artist in the Ambulance' and they blew expectations out of the water. This album gave a huge dose of musicianship, mixed socially concious lyrics that didn't come off as preachy. These guys seemed to have found their niche, which gave no hint of what was about to come. Thrice released 'Vhiessu', an album that shows their maturity and talent. Although it still had some of the original thrice elements, it was completely new. Thrice was heading onward and upward in a completely different direction then expected. Then, the magnum opus that came way out of left field. In my opinion, quite possibly the greatest full release of all time, and definitely the top releases of both 2007 and 2008. 'The Alchemy Index.' This release puts Thrice up on the mantle of musical geniuses. Everything about this release is perfect, the four completely different sounds, the four completely different ideas, the four completely different albums. From the Vhiessu like feel of Fire, to the electronic feel of Water, to the softer, gentler Air, to the completely acoustic Earth, it is a masterpiece that just leaves you wanting more. And that's not to mention the little things which I will get more in depth about when I get to full album reviews. Trust me, there is going to be a lot of Thrice postage going on in the next little while, and their is going to be a lot of writing unlike usual. Every release they just seem to be getting better, and I honestly can't wait for what comes next.

Look Who's Returned

Hello everyone, hopefully we'll start to get updates more often now that DrainTheSky appears to be back. I haven't been doing too much lately, so I've just been hanging out, planning a few posts in advance. Today I have a few different tastes for you, five unknown or under-appreciated groups that deserve a listen.

Chumbawamba - Showbusiness! (Live)
Country: England
Genre: Anarcho/Punk/Ska
Track List:
1. Never Do What You Are Told - 1:25
2. I Never Gave Up - 6:01
3. Give The Anarchist A Cigarette - 4:09
4. Heaven/Hell - 3:01
5. That's How Grateful We Are - 7:52
6. Homophobia - 4:09
7. A Morality Play - 3:31
8. Bad Dog - 5:05
9. Stitch That - 4:10
10. Mouthful of Shit - 3:57
11. The Day The Nazi Died - 1:34
12. Timebomb (Jimmy Echo Vocal) - 4:10
13. Slag Aid - 5:06
Total Play Time - 54:01

Well, I'll start off by saying that the artwork on this album is wrong. I didn't realize until I uploaded it, so if you feel like it, you can change it up. Now moving on, I know what you're thinking. You see Chumbawamba and you think of that one song that annoyed the shit out of you back in the mid nineties. Well, I must tell you that if sing-a-long punk sounds interesting, this is the cream of the crop. Smart lyrics, catchy music, and like fifteen band members. This is definitely not an album that you should skip out on.

Download: Chumbawamba - Showbusiness!

Arts the Beatdoctor - Transitions
Country: Netherlands
Genre: Turntablism/DJ/Hip-Hop
Track List:
1. Blending Quality - 3:56
2. The Anthem (ft. Pete Philly) - 3:04
3. Laughs, Drinks, Jokes, Tricks - 2:56
4. Revolve (ft. Esther) - 5:29
5. Crazy Times (ft. Skiggy Rapz) - 4:15
6. Split Personality Part I (ft. Sense) - 5:54
7. All Of Us (ft. Pete Philly) - 3:43
8. Fragments - 3:54
9. Decreasing Daylight - 3:38
10. Transitions (ft. The Proov) - 4:32
11. Irreversible - 3:42
12. Remember - 4:56
13. Reprise - 2:21
14. Mellow Drama - 4:32
15. The Zone (ft. Pete Philly) - 5:58
Total Play Time - 62:41

Alright, again I'll start with a comment on the ID3 tags. Some of the tracks on this album change genre once listened to. I can't seem to find a way to fix this, if anyone knows, let me know. Anyway, this is definitely the best DJ album I've heard since RJD2's 'Deadringer'. His beats seem to be a mixture or jazz, blues, and hip-hop. The artists featured aren't amazing, but they definitely work their raps around the beats, and it works.

Download: Arts the Beatdoctor - Transitions

Deadsy - Commencement
Country: USA
Genre: Electronic Nu-Metal
Track List:
1. The Key to Gramercy Park – 3:13
2. Winners – 4:22
3. Brand New Love – 4:34
4. Mansion World – 5:02
5. Lake Waramaug – 4:24
6. The Elements – 5:20
7. Flowing Glower – 4:58
8. Future Years – 5:26
9. She Likes Big Words – 3:59
10. Cruella – 5:55
11. Seagulls (The Macroprosopus) – 5:57
12. Le Cirque En Rose (Obsolescence) – 4:55
13. Tom Sawyer – 4:53
14. Commencement – 5:16
Total Play Time - 68:20

Headed up by the love child of Cher and Gregg Allman, Deadsy are a strange kind of band. They are heavily electronic, and are also extremely talented. This album is upbeat and depressing at the same time. They use dark baselines along with higher keyboard synths to create that difference. If you're interested in new types of music, give this a listen to this.

Download: Deadsy - Commencement

The Count Nosferatu Commando - Ultraviolence Uber Alles
Country: France
Genre: Industrial Metal
Track List:
1. Political Police - 5:23
2. Jim Beamed Ahnenerbe TV - 5:20
3. L.K. Nosferat - 5:10
4. Kommando '96 - 4:49
5. Apology - 4:54
6. Get a Gun, Shoot at Random - 4:08
7. Love Game Over - 5:24
8. Bunkermoon Khaos 3 - 5:19
Total Play Time - 40:24

Ah, those crazy frenchmen. An album that upon first glance I didn't give much chance. I will make no attempt to defend this ridiculous cover, but the music is good. It's a nice mix of industrial with an almost black metal feel. Can't really be described in words, but definitely worth checking into.

Download: The CNK - Ultraviolence Uber Alles

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - Creepin on ah Come Up
Country: USA
Genre: Rap
Track List:
1. Intro - 1:25
2. Mr. Ouija - 1:21
3. Thuggish Ruggish Bone - 4:41
4. No Surrender - 3:37
5. Down Foe My Thang - 4:51
6. Creepin on ah Come Up - 4:51
7. For Tha Love of $ - 4:32
8. Moe Cheese - 4:32
Total Play Time - 29:46

The illustrious Bone Thugs. I spent a long time thinking of them as jokes, but when I actually listened to this EP, I noticed that their style is actually quite good. The contrasting flows with the group members makes for an interesting concept, and they completely make me scared of all gangstas that play Ouija.

Download: Bone Thugs - Creepin on ah Come Up

I have Returned!

Sorry about the vast time that has gone on since my last post, it has been quite a hectic time. I'm going to try to make it a much more regular thing for me to add things seeing as I am being quite out-posted by my counter part. Anyways, this time I've got 6 albums by 6 very different artists. I hope you enjoy!

A Wilhelm Scream - Career Suicide
Country: USA
Genre: Melodic Hardcore
Year: 2007
Track List:

1. Wipe My Ass With Showbiz - 1:05
2. 5 To 9 - 2:39
3. The Horse - 4:53
4. Die While We're Young - 2:32
5. Jaws 3, People 0 - 2:40
6. Career Suicide - 1:35
7. These Dead Streets - 2:16
8. Get Mad, You Son Of A Bitch! - 3:55
9. Our Ghosts (Contemporary/Consensual) - 2:12
10. Cold Slither II - 2:20
11. Pardon Me, Thanks A Lot - 1:32
12. Check Request Denied - 1:52
13. We Built This City! (On Debts And Booze) - 5:37

Download


Bomb The Music Industry! - Get Warmer
Country: USA
Genre: Ska Punk
Track List:

1. Jobs Schmobs
2. 493 Ruth
3. Bike Test 1 2 3
4. Unlimited Breadsticks, Soup and Salad Days
5. No Rest for the Whiny
6. 25 Hour Goddamn Telethon
7. Depression is No Fun
8. I Don't Love You Anymore
9. Pizza Claus is Comin' to Town
10. Never Trust a Man Without a Horribly Embarrassing Secret
11. Get Warmer
12. The Last Party (Foul)

Download

The Fall of Troy - Manipulator
Country: USA
Genre: Post Hardcore
Track List:

1. Cut Down All the Trees and Name the Streets After Them
2. The Dark Trail
3. Quarter Past
4. Problem!?
5. Semi-Fiction
6. Oh! The Casino!?
7. Sledgehammer
8. Seattlantis
9. Ex-Creations
10. Shhh!!! If You're Quiet, I'll Show You a Dinosaur
11. Caught Up
12. A Man A Plan A Canal Panama.

Download

Bear Vs. Shark - Right Now, You're in the Best of Hands. And If Something Isn't Quite Right, Your Doctor Will Know in a Hurry
Country: USA
Genre: Post-Hardcore
Track List:

1. "Ma Jolie" – 3:51
2. "Campfire" – 2:12
3. "Buses/No Buses" – 3:14
4. "The Employee Is Not Afraid" – 4:10
5. "We Were Sad But Now We're Rebuilding" – 2:17
6. "Kylie" – 3:56
7. "MPS" – 2:55
8. "Second" – 3:21
9. "Don't Tell the Horses the Stable's on Fire" – 2:50
10. "Bloodgiver" – 4:32
11. "Michigan" – 2:32
12. "Broken Dog Leg" – 4:51
    

Download

Jaguar Love - Take Me To The Sea
Country: USA
Genre: Art Punk
Track List:

1. Highways of Gold - 3:39
2. Bats Over the Pacific Ocean - 3:44
3. Jaguar Pirates - 4:31
4. Georgia - 5:56
5. Vagabond Ballroom - 3:51
6. Humans Evolve Into Skyscrapers - 3:50
7. Antoine and Birdskull - 3:43
8. Bonetrees and a Broken Heart - 3:38
9. The Man With the Plastic Suns - 4:31
10. My Organ Sounds Like... - 5:09

Download

Isis, The Final Chapter!

Well, it has finally arrived, the last post of the Isis extravaganza. And it comes on a fitting day, as I just purchased 'In The Absence of Truth' today. Anyway, I have Live.01,.02,.03,.04, and Oceanic - Remixes and Reinterpretations. I have actually run out of things to say about Isis for now, so I will just be putting everything up without much text. There is nothing new on any of these, and their titles are pretty self explanatory, so you won't need me anyway.

Isis - Live.01
Country: USA
Genre: Post-Metal
Track List:
1. Carry – 6:59
2. Hym – 9:31
3. Weight – 13:29
4. The Beginning and the End – 10:24

Total Play Time - 39:43

Download: Isis - Live.01

Isis - Live.02
Country: USA
Genre: Post-Metal
Track List:
1. From Sinking – 10:56
2. Glisten – 7:11
3. Carry – 7:30
4. Weight – 13:09
5. The Beginning and the End – 9:48
6. Celestial (Ext./Alt. Version) – 17:25
Total Play Time - 65:19

Download: Isis - Live.02

Isis - Live.03
Country: USA
Genre: Post-Metal
Track List:
1. So Did We – 8:43
2. Backlit – 8:40
3. The Beginning and the End – 9:24
4. In Fiction – 10:15
5. Wills Dissolve – 7:29
6. Grinning Mouths – 8:51
7. Altered Course – 15:38
Total Play Time - 67:40

Download: Isis - Live.03

Isis - Live.04
Country: USA
Genre: Post-Metal
Track List:
1. Gentle Time – 8:54
2. Glisten – 6:57
3. C.F.T. – 8:02
4. Celestial – 10:49
5. Improv 1 / Endless Nameless (K. Cobain) – 8:01
6. False Light – 8:30
7. Weight (instrumental version) – 12:25
Total Play Time - 63:38

Download: Isis - Live.04

Isis - Oceanic: Remixes and Reinterpretations
Country: USA
Genre: Post-Metal
Track List:
Disc One
1. Weight – 6:34
2. False Light (Carry Edit) – 7:53
3. Hym – 6:19
4. The Other – 9:49
5. Carry – 4:26
6. Maritime – 9:24
7. Maritime – 3:43
Disc Two
1. The Beginning and the End – 5:05
2. Carry – 5:21
3. False Light (Deadverse) – 5:30
4. Carry: Like I Will Love Her Forever? (Fuckin Die!!!) – 5:51
5. From: Sinking, To: Drowning – 7:14
6. Hym – 14:54
Total Play Time - 89:23

Download: Isis - Oceanic R&R Disc I
Download: Isis - Oceanic R&R Disc II

Red Sparowes Advance

Hey guys, I'm taking a break from the Isis scene for a moment to bring you the upcoming EP from one of my favourites. I know I'm a little behind, but I've been a little busy, and god knows where DrainTheSky is. Anyway, I just got it in, so I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, but by tomorrow night I will be done thoroughly enjoying it I'm sure and I will edit in my first impressions. Anyway without further ado.

Red Sparowes - Aphorisms (Site)
Country: USA
Genre: Post-Rock
Track List:
1. We Left the Apes to Rot, But Find the Fang Still Grows Within - 6:37
2. Error Has Turned Animals Into Men, and to Each the Fold Repeats - 5:38
3. The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer - 5:38
Total Play Time - 17:53

Download: Red Sparowes - Aphorisms

And as a little treat for you all, as I was on the lookout for more Thrice like music to cut my Alchemy addiction, I stumbled upon Eye Alaska, which I believe is Dustin's brother's band. I've only given it a few listens through, but my god, quite amazing if I must say so myself. My suggestion, listen to the first track, then listen to it again before going over the rest of the album. The amazingness of that track cannot be appreciated in only one listen. Anyway, here is the appropriate wordage and linkage.
PS, I'm sure my labeling of them as Post-Hardcore is wrong, I assumed they, being associated with Thrice it was a safe bet to begin with, but upon listening I realized I was wrong. I have yet to think of another genre, so this will stick for now.

Eye Alaska - Yellow and Elephant (Site)
Country: USA
Genre: Post-Hardcore
Track List:
1. I Knew You'd Never Fly 4:09
2. Stop Me Now...I'm Not Ready 3:39
3. Roll Right Over 3:44
4. Through Willows and Streams 4:30
5. A Storm in the Childs Fountain 3:12
6. Cheetah and the Tiger (Bonus) 2:54
Total Play Time - 22:03

Download: Eye Alaska - Yellow and Elephant

Isis, The Perfection Continues...

Today I have another installment of the Isis collection. All four of their EPs are here for the taking. I hope you all enjoy this, the third installment is due sometime next week.

Isis - Mosquito Control
Country: USA
Genre: Post-Metal
Track List:
1. Poison Eggs – 6:42
2. Life Under the Swatter – 5:50
3. Hive Destruction – 4:10
4. Relocation Swarm – 11:43
Total Play Time - 27:45

Starting in 1998, Isis put out there first release. An EP by the name of Mosquito Control. This EP should be taken in one shot. This is pretty much one song split into four, and it shouldn't be too hard to listen to the whole thing in one sitting considering its short play time. This is the first release to start the mosquito theme that appears within Isis' future releases.

Download: Isis - Mosquito Control

Isis - The Red Sea
Country: USA
Genre: Post-Metal
Track List:
1. Charmicarmicarmicat Shines to Earth – 2:23
2. The Minus Times – 5:26
3. Red Sea – 7:20
4. Smiles and Handshakes – 6:02
5. Catalyst – 4:26
6. Ochre – 4:41
7. Lines Across Eyes – 5:47
Total Play Time - 35:25

Their next release same a year later in the form of The Red Sea. When originally released it was made up of three tracks, now it is seven. With the first three tracks being the original three, they show a slight evolution towards what Isis was on their first release. The next four songs are from their 1998 demo, and obviously have a different feel to them.

Download: Isis - The Red Sea

Isis - Sawblade
Country: USA
Genre: Post-Metal
Track List:
1. Emission of the Signal – 4:53
2. Streetcleaner – 5:42
3. Hand of Doom – 8:36
4. House of Low Culture – 11:09
Total Play Time - 30:20

The next EP was in the same year. Sawblade, originally released on 200 self made CD-Rs by Isis while on tour, is only a four song showing. It has a slightly softer feel to it then does The Red Sea. I've been trying to get my hands on this for a while but nothing doing. Two of the four songs on this record are covers, track two a cover of Godflesh, and track three a cover of Black Sabbath.

Download: Isis - Sawblade

Isis - SGNL>05
Country: USA
Genre: Post-Metal
Track List:
1. SGNL>05 (Final Transmission) – 2:52
2. Divine Mother (The Tower Crumbles) – 9:16
3. Beneath Below – 4:54
4. Constructing Towers – 8:24
5. Celestial (Signal Fills the Void) – 10:22
Total Play Time - 35:19

Their latest EP dropped in 2001. SGNL>05 is seen as a true extension onto their Celestial release. With many of the same themes being evident through the two releases, it is hard to deny their similarity. For the last track of this EP, Broadwick (mixer/producer) pulled some influence from his work with Godflesh and Jesu to remix the opening track from Celestial.

Download: Isis - SGNL>05

Isis...Self Explanatory!

Alright, it had been a while since I had listened to Isis, but the other day I found Panopticon on vinyl, and I have since re-fallen in love with them. I really can't find anything bad to say about these guys, and their semi-side project 'Red Sparowes' are another favourite of mine as you might already know. Originally I was going to do this as one big monster post, but I have since decided against that. I will instead be uploading this in two or three shifts, starting with LPs, followed by EPs, followed by lives and remixes. So, for you guys today, I have their four studio albums. Website

Isis - Celestial
Country: USA
Genre: Post-Metal
Track List:
1. SGNL>01 0:55
2. Celestial (The Tower) 9:42
3. Glisten 6:35
4. Swarm Reigns (Down) 6:02
5. SGNL>02 0:51
6. Deconstructing Towers 7:30
7. SGNL>03 0:35
8. Collapse and Crush 5:55
9. C.F.T. (New Circuitry and Continued Evolution) 5:43
10. Gentle Time 7:02
11. SGNL>04 (End Transmission) 1:07
Total Play Time - 49:57

Starting in 2000, their third release but first full length. Based on sludge and drone ideals, this album is just an idea of what Isis was to become. Although a little different from their newer stuff this album holds a special place in my heart just because you can see the potential for greatness is there, and being able to watch that come to fruition over the next three albums is something that you can't help but love.

Download: Isis - Celestial

Isis - Oceanic
Country: USA
Genre: Post-Metal
Track List:
1. The Beginning and the End 8:02
2. The Other 7:15
3. False Light 7:42
4. Carry 6:48
5. - 2:05
6. Maritime 3:03
7. Weight 10:46
8. From Sinking 8:24
9. Hym 9:13
Total Play Time -63:20

Continuing on to 2002, Isis release Oceanic. This is where we begin to see Isis forge their style. This album is a departure from their earlier releases, evident by the use of more clean guitar parts that seem to be influenced heavily by post-rock. With a mix of sludge, drone, and post-rock, the inception of post-metal came about. Even though you could argue that the framework for post-metal was already there, I believe this album invented the genre as we know it today.

Download: Isis - Oceanic Part I
Download: Isis - Oceanic Part II

Isis - Panopticon
Country: USA
Genre: Post-Metal
Track List:
1. So Did We 7:30
2.Backlit 7:43
3. In Fiction 8:59
4. Wills Dissolve 6:47
5. Syndic Calls 9:40
6. Altered Course 9:58
7. Grinning Mouths 8:27
Total Play Time - 57:04

To 2004, a few months after my 16th birthday, comes what I think of as the pinnacle in Isis' career. Panopticon is by far my favourite Isis release. Based on the idea by Jeremy Bentham and Michel Foucault, of a prison where every prisoner could be watched at all times without knowing that they were being watched. I'm not very good at explaining it so if you're interested, check this out. Building upon their tower theme that is flowing through each release, they deliver a work of art.

Download: Isis - Panopticon

Isis - In The Absence of Truth
Country: USA
Genre: Post-Metal
Track List:
1. Wrists of Kings 7:45
2. Not in Rivers, but in Drops 7:48
3. Dulcinea 7:10
4. Over Root and Thorn 8:31
5. 1,000 Shards 6:17
6. All Out of Time, All Into Space 3:04
7. Holy Tears 7:04
8. Firdous e Bareen 7:50
9. Garden of Light 9:17
Total Play Time - 64:49

Their last release was in 2006, In The Absence of Truth. A mediocre release by Isis. With the possibilty of greatness in their midst, they seem to have gone in a completely different direction. Instead of forging into undiscovered territory, Isis seem to fall back into a post-rock/progressive grey area. From any other band, this album might be a step forward, but for Isis, it's three back. A band that almost prides itself on it's perfection lets to many seemingly sloppy riffs get through, not to mention that at least one of them must have been on a major Tool kick because this album has Tool influences all over. I have been seeing mixed reviews about this album, and have been told that it takes a bunch of careful listens to really see the mastery behind it, so maybe i'm wrong.

Download: Isis - In The Absence of Truth

The Controversy Has Landed

Alright everyone, the new Nas album is upon us, and it's title has been scrapped. It's release date is in about a week, and I've got the leak for you all. Now, I've only given it a small listen to but it doesn't seem to be up to snuff. It's Nas, it's good, but it's not Nas good. The beats are lacking, and the flow of the album seems a little strange. The lyrics are there and the message is there, but all in all, not his best work, this might be due in part to all the hype surrounding this release. I've also uploaded 'The Nigger Tape' with Nas & DJ Green Lantern. Website.

Nas - Untitled
Country: USA
Genre: Rap
Track List:
1. Queens Get The Money 2:12
2. You Can't Stop Us Now 3:05
3. Breathe 3:34
4. Make the World Go Round 3:49
5. Hero 4:00
6. America 3:51
7. Sly Fox 4:23
8. Testify 2:45
9. N.I.G.G.E.R. (Slave and the Master) 4:33
10. Louis Farrakhan 2:51
11. Fried Chicken 2:50
12. Project Roach 1:48
13. Y'all My Niggas 4:15
14. We're Not Alone 5:39
15. Black President 4:55
Total Play Time - 54:04

Download: Nas - Untitled


Nas & DJ Green Lantern - The Nigger Tape
Country: USA
Genre: Rap
Track List:
1. Intro 0:59
2. Gangsta Rap (Remix) 1:51
3. Cops Keep Firing 3:03
4. Hero 4:12
5. Black President 5:25
6. Association 5:15
7. Legendary (Mike Tyson) 2:54
8. Ghetto (Remix) 3:24
9. Seen It All 1:39
10. Esco Let's Go 3:49
11. N.I.G.G.E.R. (Slave and Master) 4:21
12. Be A Nigger Too (Remix) 3:09
13. Surviving the Times (Original Cool and Dre Version) 3:35
14. Nas Timeline 8:39
15. Outro 1:02
Total Play Time - 53:16

Download: Nas & DJ Green Lantern - The Nigger Tape