And now, some low register screams...

Mid-summer has brought out a bevy of bleak, heavy and down-tuned releases. A perfect way to embrace the heat.

Disma Towards the Megalith

While I'm all for evolution in extreme music, sometimes that leads to musical dead ends. When death metal gets too technical, I'm just left cold. Give me crunchy riffs, heavy (if sloppy) bass lines and simple, pounding drumming and I'll be happy. The debut from this supergroup of sorts has all of that, along with enough musical chops to keep the listener fully engaged in the music. The guitar playing is tremendous, and any album that takes me to the "Vault of Membros" is a winner in my book.

Sourvein Black Fangs

You know another style that gets me right in the heart? Sludge. Again, it's music more about making noise and reaching for the heart than pure technical proficiency, and it's a style I've loved since making the jump into punk rock back in the mid 1980s (Minnesota had plenty of raw, sloppy and heavy bands back in those days, led by the likes of the Bastards, the Cows and Babes in Toyland). Sourvein first full-length in many a year again hits the sweet spot, moving easily between fast, aggressive noise and slower, heavy-duty jams.

Hail!Hornet Disperse the Curse

Considering that there are heavy connections between the two (band members, other bands that have included members, including Weedeater and the all mighty Buzzov*en) it's not a surprise that Hail!Hornet plies similar sludge and doom territory here, their long awaited sophomore release. You can heal the southern humidity and heat dripping off the songs, giving the whole album a thick, oppressive atmosphere that fits perfectly with these tales of hard drinking and hard living.

The return of Amebix

Amebix will release a new album this fall.

It's hard to put into words how thrilling that is to write. The fathers of British crust punk were inactive for more than two decades, leaving behind a pair of full-length albums and an album's worth of stray tracks.

So the reunion of a couple of years ago was exciting enough, and last year's Redux e.p. -- featuring a trio of rerecorded classics with the current lineup -- showed that the band's signature epic heaviness had not been lost to time.

But new music? Oh man.

This track is a teaser from the album, Sonic Mass, and while it doesn't turn back the clock entirely to 1987, it does bring the band's signature vibe. The track builds slowly, with vocalist/bassist The Baron singing almost clearly before the heavy-duty power hits about midway through the track, fueling the song until its end. It's a terrific snippet of crusty punk that while certainly modern, never wavers from what brought Amebix to the table in the first place.

The song is available as a stand-alone download, on CD or in a vinyl edition from Profane Existence, pressed on heavy-duty wax, with an etching on one side and access to an exclusive video for the song. Whatever the format, it's more than worth a listen, at the very least to tide listeners over until September.

In an alternative universe, my doppleganger has a job as an accoutant

Apparently, alternative universes are in, at least at Bad Robt. First, the latest "Star Trek" uses it as a way to reboot the franchise. On Tuesday, "Lost" split the storyline in two -- featuring the familiar Losties still stuck on the island and alternative versions who land in LAX in 2004 after their plane doesn't crash.

It's pretty familiar territory to anyone consumes a fair amount of science fiction. If a rock-stupid show like "Primeval" can use it as its foundation, then it's probably something that audiences have a passing familiarity with by this time. Still, it's a bit of a shock when it comes out so clearly on mainstream TV.

There were nice touches in both to show us the differences between the worlds (something easy to bring out in a visual medium, where you don't have to draw attention to the changes), from Jack only taking one bottle of vodka on the plane as opposed to the two he did originally, or the alternative spelling of "Manhatan' on the opening graphic on "Fringe. Despite some odd mcguffins on the later (the science is usually there to just be "mad" as opposed to actually, you know, logical) both ended up being powerful evenings because they hint at the choices that can change our lives.

When you get to the bottom of it, what alternative realities show us is that our actions can have multiple consequences, and can than spell those out in dramatic form. They also show us the unintended ramifications of a single choice. Jack wanted to set everything right with his plan to set off a bomb at the end of the last season, but instead of making it all right, he split the realities -- in the past, the characters are just as muddled as they've always been; while in the present, Juliet is dead and Sayid is gravely injured. On "Fringe," Walter nabbed alterna-Peter as a replacement for his own dead son in the past. This not only opened the door between the universes -- a door that seems to be weakening both at present -- but also was likely a cornerstone of his future madness. (The irony of stealing a replacement for his son, only to be estranged from him for decades cannot be lost here.)

The music of 2010, part one

OK, I'm swimming in new releases right now -- many of which will never make it a formal review in Lavender or in the Noise Annoys newspaper column. To that end, here are short impressions of what's landed on my desk in the last month. (a note: a few of these are actually late 2009 releases I didn't get/get around to until this month, so they're honorary parts of the new decade).

To the music:

Beach House "Teen Dream"
Dream is right -- moody rock music never goes out of style and Beach House has the goods to make an intriguing, beguiling album. Worth watching.

Blakroc
Late 2009 release featuring the Black Keys and numerous hip-hop luminaries. In the end, it's a solid if not spectacular collection highlighting strong contributions from various Wu Tang clanners.
Claps "New Science"
Electro popsters from the Twin Cities showcase their chops on ep. Sometimes feels too much like it's from 1982, but fine in the short burst here (well, apart from the unneeded remixes of opening cut "Fold" that is.)

Cold War Kids "Behave Yourself"
Four tracks of goodness from the kids, led off by should-be-big-hit-in-fair-world "Audience." The rest of the ep doesn't let up either.

Corinne Bailey Rae "The Sea"
Stunning second album from Rae, who takes tragedy -- the death of her husband in 2008 -- and turns it into a brilliant meditation on love and loss.

Dessa "A Badly Broken Code"
Good musical backdrops and good lyrics here -- Dessa's only shortcoming is as a rapper. Her flow often sounds just a beat or half off from the beat, which makes some of the songs sound hesitant and sloppy. Too bad, as there is plenty of good things to recommend here.

Eels "End Times"
Not the greatest album by a long shot from the Eels (it feels much longer than its 40 minutes and often comes off as just tedious), but there's still some work to recommend amid this messy release.
Fucked Up "Couple Tracks: 2002-2009"
Every time I think that hardcore is a spent force, a new group or album comes down the pike to prove there's life in those old musical bones. These singles and spare tracks give the genre enough of a lift to live for another year.

Gospel Gossip "The Drift"
Another 2009 release. Absolutely brilliant four-track ep of noisy pop-rock, like showgaze, but with a driving beat that you can do more than sway side-to-side to. More please.

Los Campesinos! "Romance in Boring"
From the bright rock of "There are Listed Buildings" to the darker tones of "The Sea is a Good Place to Think of the Future," "Romance is Boring" is a brilliant ride. One of the first great albums of 2010.

Retribution Gospel Choir "2"
The boys from Low rock all out. Well, as much as they can. Still, lots of storming, twisting guitar lines and feedback fuel the group's second collection, such as on the driving "Electric Guitar," which should join the pantheon of noise epics.

Spoon "Transference"
Spoon has always been a band I've respected rather than loved. That doesn't change here -- a good album as far as songs and performance goes, but not something that I'll probably spend hours and hours exploring.

Surfer Blood "Astro Coast"
At the best, Surfer Blood brings a bit of life to low-key rock n roll. At worst, they sound like a Strokes knock-off. Considering how much the Strokes were already a knock-off, well -- this isn't something that'll stick in the mind all that much.
V.V. Brown "Traveling Like the Light"
Ooh, disco dance for the gay set. While the album gets off to a terrific start ("Quick Fix" just absolutely rocks) it quickly falls into a familiar pattern -- some minor pop hooks, lots of beats, sassy singing and not much to say beyond it. Obligatory ballads also included.

Yeahsayer "Odd Blood"
Ooh eccentric rock music to warm my winter heart. Band is best when the pop overwhelms the oddness ("Ambling Alp") and even at its most twee, it doesn't wear out its welcome.

I knew Watchmen was going to suck...

...But I had no idea it would suck so much!

Wow, it's just a phenomenally bad movie in just about every aspect. Let's look at some of the ways it sucks:

1. Zach Snyder is a hack. That's not much of a surprise, considering he also made the awful 300 and the OK but unnecessary Dawn of the Dead remake. Watching the film, it's a clear case of someone who got the surface of the story, but none of the depth. And a note to all filmmakers: Enough of the slow motion already! Like 300, the film could have been a half hour shorter if all the slow mo and annoying Matrix-style shots were gone.

2. The structure doesn't make a good film. Watchmen was published as a 12-issue comic book, and writer Alan Moore used that structure to good effect, telling the early part of the story as interlocking short stories before bringing all of the elements together. All of that dense backstory either gets lost or, when introduced, slows the proceedings down to a crawl. It may have worked as a TV series, except...

3. The comic book nature doesn't make a good film, either. Comics are a visual medium, but they exist in a very different storytelling realm that films. Dave Gibbons deliberate, nine-panels -a-page art style makes for plenty of arresting visuals, many of which are captured here. But what's arresting on the page ends up being flat on film, as if the actors are just posing for pictures as opposed to, you know, acting.

4. It also looks very silly. Pulling off costumed super heroes on film is tough -- Christopher Nolan, Sam Raimi and Tim Burton have done it, many others have failed. Again, it's a case where the visual language of comics doesn't make the transition -- or translation -- to cinema. The crystal-clear digital look only hinders matters.

5. The script is... man, is it awful. Watchmen works as character studies while knowingly poking at 50 years of super hero comics. It really isn't meant as a treatise on mid-1980s nuclear politics. So, of course, all of the nuclear fear is pushed to the foreground. Not only does it shift the focus away from the characters, but it makes the twists of the plot screamingly clear. Really, the bad guy should just wear a sign that says "I Am Really Evil."

6. The acting is no better. God, I don't even want to think about the acting again. Acting in a rubber suit or as a digital effect can test a performer, but a group of "professionals" really should do better than this.

The only saving grace? At least I didn't buy it -- thank you Netflix.

Odd bits

A bit of a bug kept me close to home through the weekend, so no exciting news to report, but there was plenty of reading...

1. I didn't get into Metallica until after bassist Cliff Burton had passed away, but those first three lps he played on have always been my favorites. His short life (only 26 when killed in a tour bus crash) has largely remained a mystery over the years, a mystery that Joel McIver explores in his biography, "To Live is to Die."

As it turns out, Burton had a pretty low key life -- he comes off as a nice, everyday dude who lived mainly to play the bass. That was to Metallica's benefit, but does make for a bit of a dull read. The problem is that McIver, despite good access to the other band members and Burton's family and friends, never gets inside his subject. This is also true of Burton's playing, which is given some attention, but apart from some jargon-riddled passages about the bass rig and some touches on music theory, doesn't get to the heart of the matter.

2. Brandon Sanderson, the heir to Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series (his first volume -- of three that will finally end the series -- will be out this fall), has his own complex, fully realized worlds to explore as well. His latest, "Warbreaker," takes us to a suitably Medieval land where magic works. In this case, it's based on a person's "breath" and is also tied to colors. It's both quite derivative and very stupid -- really, it's almost a deal breaker in the first 50 pages -- but Sanderson's skills as a storyteller take over from there. The story includes a pair of princesses trying to save their own kingdom (and stay alive), mysterious, highly skilled mercenaries, a bored God becoming obsessed with who he was before his ascension and plenty of betrayals to keep the action moving. I found that if I substituted "soul" for "breath" and just ignored the whole color thing, even the magic made some kind of sense.

3. Things I learned half-watching a preseason football game on NBC: Jay Leno has some new show coming out; NBC really wants you to watch "Community" this fall; apparently, accidents only happen in slow motion on "Trauma." Oh, I was also reminded why I hate the broadcast networks (I hate the cable networks too, but I don't have that service anymore so I really can't comment).

Mobius at Colonus, part two

The thrilling conclusion!

(Just a note: you'll want to head down a few posts to part one before reading this...)

Act III

(The ancient world)

Chorus: The king has returned with great wealth, yet the court is unsettled. The people speak of strange lights coming from the heart of the palace. And there are words – rumors – that the king has not just returned for his kingdom. He should be at the pinnacle of his power, so why is there so much unrest in the palace and in the streets of the city?

Look, the oracle comes. We have never seen her outside of the temple.

Voice: I have come far to speak to the king. Please lead me to his chamber at once.

Chorus: What could possibly have brought the Oracle here at this time? We must prepare. We must prepare.

Man “A”: Who calls at my door? Oracle? Why have you left the temple?

Voice: I come with a warning, great king. Your hubris may doom us all. On your most recent journey, you returned with much treasure, but one item in particular confounds you, does it not.

Man “A”: Though you are blind, Oracle, you always see into the heart of the matter. There was one item – a strange thing found in a far away temple of an unknown god. It is black as onyx and shaped in such perfection that only a God may have crafted it. We studied it long and hard on the long road back home, but no one could make any sense of it. It defies all.

Chorus: Defies all! This is not of the Gods at all!

Voice: Oh great king, you must return it to the temple from where it came immediately – or, if that proves impossible, remove it from your kingdom. All is doom if you do not.

Chorus: The oracle speaks not in riddles. The pathway is clear.

Man “A”: Hold. I need some reason for this course of action. How is it that this small object is the cause of all the unrest that blights the land?

Voice: It is not right. It is not correct. It will be the doom of us all.

Chorus: The doom of us all! The Doom of us all!

Man “A”: (shift to modern world): Quiet! Everyone just settle down. I think our colleague has just been working a bit too much in recent weeks. We’ve all been so busy with the trips and spin-offs and everything else that Margaret has on her plate. She’ll be fine soon.

Woman “A”: But what’s this Navigator… and (shift to the ship) who is this Mr. Chambers? I have never heard of one of the computer core’s acting like this. Is there any clue to why it has happened?

Chorus: Mum, none at all. We have begun to examine it via the recommended diagnostics, but we have not uncovered anything that would at all indicate a break down of this magnitude. I think if we were to port over the initial system check…

Woman “A”: Thank you. You may do what you deem necessary, just spare me any details.

Chorus: Yes, mum.

Man “A”: Is it still… talking?

Chorus: Let me reconnect the audio.

Voice: The connection cannot be made. We are doomed. We are doomed. The king has returned to his court. The way is set. Mr. Chambers will not listen. The Navigator has lost all already. Nothing can change the path. Nothing can change the world. We are lost. We are lost.

Man “A”: Disconnect, please. So, our computer has lost its senses – are we able to return home without its guidance?

Chorus: Sir, we can. There are other systems on the ship that can take care of the guide computer’s base systems, but it will be slower. And we will need to be more diligent. The software is ancient for some of these systems and patched together, only working well because of what the main computer can do.

Man “A”: Suggestions.

Woman “A”: Navigator. These troubles started once we brought the artifact on board. Could it not be affecting the systems? It is so similar to our own computer core, perhaps they cannot exist together?

Man “A”: That may be, but it is the reason for this trip. We will not abandon the new core for any reason. We will leave some of the survey and work teams behind – they have enough resources to survive for some time without our aid.

Woman “A”: I will make the assignments.

Man “A”: That is good. However, my dear wife, please do not assign our future daughter to this duty. I would not want our son to be separated from his bride-to-be this close to the marriage. There are plenty of others will good qualifications who can run the work. Anyway, I would prefer to have her on board, to examine the artifact on the journey to home.

Woman “A” (rather chuffed): Yes, Navigator.

(Scene shifts to spaceship lab; whirring sounds, but different than the bridge, are in the background)

Man “B”: Can you work out what it is at all? Besides the obvious, of course?

Woman “B”: The ports have been fused at some time in the past – perhaps there was a crash at some point. Of course, coming here may have done some damage to it. Being ripped from your own place in space and time to this… hell is not easy on anyone, or anything.

Man “B” Don’t dwell on that. We know we are here now, forever. The past is gone.

Woman “B”: Easy for you to say – you were born here. I still have vague recollections of home. Of living under open skies. In a world that made sense. Not like this… place, and this thing. Can you imagine what it was like? I remember that we had a house. Not just a few rooms in a warren with thousands of other people, but an actual house that was surrounded by green fields. We had trees. I remember trees at the very least. Then one day I went out…

Man “B”: Don’t do this to yourself.

Woman “B”: (Ignoring him, they have had this conversation many times before) I went out to play and I saw something… it is all so vague. I’ve spent 20 years trying to remember exactly what it was. I think of a book my parents read to me, about a girl named Alice, so I perceive that I was following a rabbit into the woods. I heard my parents calling for me. And then there was darkness. And then I was here.

Man “B”: In the throne room, as it were. My parents were certainly surprised, but it was to your advantage. You may have come to hell, but at least it was a nice corner of it.

Woman “B”: True. I met you, didn’t I? Now… I wonder if there is some way to “open” one of the sides. Our core has that ability, but I don’t imagine it has been done in many centuries. Perhaps a visit to the computer room will give me some clues. (Pause) I need a break

Man “B”: Would you like to go back to our quarters?

Woman “B”: No, I want to go to the computer room first. I will meet you there in an hour or so. Let me take care of some business first.

(Shift, modern day)

Woman “B”: Harold, I have an idea.

Man “A”: Hmm, and I thought you were here just to see me.

Woman “B”: Well, there’s that as well, but first let me show you what I’ve discovered. (some metallic rustling) There was a latch on this one side of the cube, and I was able to uncover it. I don’t know the origin, but there are spots that I recognize as ports, just like any ordinary pc. The geeks came up with a jury-rigged solution that seems to work. We tried hooking it into a computer, but it didn’t do anything. But we thought to hook it up to a speaker. Listen

Voice: Reboot. Reboot. Reboot Reboot. (continues in background)

Woman “B”: Isn’t that fantastic? We knew we had something special here, but once the reboot finishes, we’ll be able to find out where it came from and what it was used for and …

(sound of kissing)

Man “A”: You are so wonderful!

(More love making sounds, it’s clear that they are letting go of their composure at this point, and are ready to damn the consequences. Those consequences will be heralded by the sound of an opening door)

Woman “A”: Harold! Fuck. I knew this was going on, but I wouldn’t let myself admit it. With…

Man “A”: Please, honey don’t tell our son.

(The door slams)

Voice: Reboot complete. The Navigator has erred and all is now lost. The ship will not return from its journeys. Mr. Chambers has lost the business. The king has lost his mind. The kingdom will burn in fire and be forgotten. The Navigator will float until he burns as well. The kingdoms always burn. The kingdoms always burn.

Man “A”: Did it just say my name?

Voice: We are lost in the darkness. The Navigator will not return. We will burn.

Woman “B”: Harold. What are we going to do?

Man “A”: Who is the Navigator? That’s the same sort of thing Margaret was babbling about. What is this thing?

Woman “B”: Harold, your wife is going to tell your son. What are we going to do?

Man “A”: Does it matter? Do you really want to marry that wet-behind-the-ears boy?

Woman “B”: Harold, listen to yourself… I hear someone coming.

(The door opens, and we shift back to the space ship, the voice continues to babel in the background)

Woman “A”: Here is what the Navigator and your bride-to-be have been doing. For how long, dear, months? Years?

Man “A”: Please, let me explain.

Man “B”: Do not attempt to explain… what is that? Who reconnected the computer’s voice?

Woman “B”: it isn’t from our computer, it’s from the cube we found.

Woman “A”: But…

Voice: All is lost. The Navigator has left the system. The route is set. The end is here.

Man “B”: How does it know?

Voice: Failure is imminent. Mr. Chambers has been discovered. The king is lost within his own lust. The Navigator cannot see the path to light. All is lost. All is lost. All is lost. All is lost. (Continues until the act break).

Act IV

(This plays out on the bridge, in the board room and in the court of the king. At this point, all three have reached this stage: they’ve discovered that there’s something odd about the artifact that somehow links them together; they’ve been warned to return the cube; and the affair between Man “A” and Woman “B” have been discovered. There will be shifts throughout the scene, as seen fit)

Woman “A”: We must go back. We cannot leave our people on the recommendation of my husband and this… woman here. And there can be no new empire now. We must remove the other computer from our presence, or I fear we will all be doomed.

Woman “B”: No, this is the greatest find in centuries of exploration… a new computer core..

Woman “A”: Why is she here? There is nothing that the former explorations officer can add to the discussion.

Man “A”: Former? Who made that decision. This is my ship, not yours. I will decide when officers are no longer needed, and perhaps that includes you, first officer.

Woman “A”: You wouldn’t dare. The crew would mutiny against you, especially considering what you have done. The news is certainly racing through the whole ship as we speak and I’m sure everyone is wondering why we left so many good crew back at the site, when she was allowed to stay on board.

Man “A”: They wouldn’t dare (shift to modern) This is my company. I build this with my own bare hands.

Woman “A”: And your father’s money, don’t forget that.

Man “A”: Be quiet! I will not apologize to you. We haven’t loved each other in years, and you know it. It was just for appearances. We’ve both stepped out many times in the last decade.

Woman “A”: I, however, didn’t step out with someone that was “in love” with one of our children. Harold, how could you? I don’t care about our marriage, but you’ve ruined theirs as well, and maybe ruined the company as well. The board is already whispering about replacing you with a new CEO.

Man “A”: They wouldn’t dare (shift to ancient). The people love me and have always done so. I will not bow to the will of a mad woman and a wife who knows little of the dangers of the loneliness of the far reaches. I return home, but find no comfort from you. I do, however, find it from another; one who does not deny me my wishes.

Woman “A”: Oh, I will call down the Gods on your head. You will never see another sunrise! And I believe the Oracle is correct. This kingdom is also doomed. It may burn in fire for all I care. I will not bear to have you in this chamber any longer. Leave. Leave! Leave!

Man “A”: What does my son say? He has been quiet through all of this.

Man “B”: Both of you have… I cannot say. I cannot think of what you have done to me at this time. Until an hour ago I loved you both with all of my heart, now I only find hatred burning there. Yes, mother is correct. Leave my sight. I wish to never know that either of you were ever here.

Woman “B”: But..

Man “B”: No! You must leave now!

Chorus; Oh King! The city is aflame! Word of your actions have spread to every corner and the revolt has begun! I beg of you, flee while you still can. Flee!

Voice: The flame of your choosing is here. You must leave, but take this object with you. It cannot save your kingdom now, but perhaps if you leave, it can save your son from doom.

(We are back in the future, the voice will be heard in foreground, and then with a slight delay, in the background, as if both the original computer and the new one are speaking the same words)

Voice: System failure imminent. The other is alike. We cannot exist. We must remove from this place. Mr. Chambers has been lost. The kingdom is in flames. The ship will burn in 10 minutes. Please advise. Please advise. All crew to the lifeboats. All crew to the lifeboats.

Woman “A”: No, belay that! Only the Navigator and his new bride, and the other cube, are to be placed in a life pod. Crewman, please escort our former husband to his lifepod. I will give them that, for what it is worth. And please be quick about it. Don’t forget to include that “thing” with him. It has been the cause of so much ruin.

Man “B”: No, it hasn’t. They have.

Man “A”: Please, wife, please don’t (shift to modern day) do this. This business has been my life. We don’t need a simple affair to cause it all to end.

Voice (back to single, but distorted): The beacon comes. Home calls.

Man “B”: What?

Voice: We are returned at last. (odd sounds, perhaps a few cries)

(Outside, sounds of fire in the background)

Woman “B”: Where will we go?

Man “A”: I don’t know, but first, we must return to the temple I first found. It was the cause of all our misery. And then…

Woman “B”: yes, my love?

Man “A”: There is no love now. Just survival. Let us go.

(and the lifepod)

Woman “B”: Go where? We can return to the artifacts, but the crews will be long gone by the time we can arrive in this boat. What have we done?

Voice: What is always done.

Man “A”: Hmmm?

Voice: The fire returns. Mr. Chambers is on his way. The King returns to the temple. All that remains is fire.

Woman “B”: Fire? What does it mean? (Increased noise inside the ship) What’s happening?

Man “A”: We are picking up speed. Impossible speed, it seems. Oh..

Woman “B”: What?

Man “A”: The way you described traveling? As being pulled apart in every direction, down to your soul?

Woman “B”: Oh…

Man “A”: I believe you are going home.

Voice: The fire returns. The fire returns. We are the beginning.

Woman “B”: I love you.

Man “A”: I don’t. (Pause) I am sorry.

Voice: (White noise slowly builds in the background, overtaking the speech once it is clear that it is the same narration from the beginnig) Out of love comes heartache. Out of lust comes wreckage. We are all slaves to ourselves – our emotions and destinies. We cannot hope to change, only to control. Out side of the stars, the story will unfold. A man’s hubris will be his downfall, as events of fate have already been set in motion. Not even the gods can save him. No sacrifices, no prayers, no pleas will alter the course.

End theme