the optimist

2017 Mid-Year Report, Part Deux: Managing the Overflow

Chris7 Comments
immortal band
*there is no Immortal in this list.  I just really like the pic.

The style and format of the Nine Cirles ov… articles is such that we limit ourselves to nine entries on whatever topic it is we’re blathering about.  It’s a blessing and a curse: it really helps hone down what you want to cover but, as in the case of this week’s mid-year favorites it can really kill your groove, particularly when there’s so much awesome to cover in the first half of the year.

And man there’s SO MUCH GOOD STUFF OUT THERE.  Someone on Twitter mentioned how he dug the list for the simple reason that none of my choices would have made his list.  Now, after you pick yourself up off the floor in shock that sometimes (rarely, admittedly) social media can be a sensible and warm community, revel in the fact that this just reinforces the amount of quality out there so far in 2017.  So, you all good with a second course?  Let’s dig in… Continue reading →

Album Review: Anathema – “The Optimist”

Chris5 Comments

KSCOPE351-COVER-20cm

The coordinates tell you where you need to go, and what you need to know.  There’s an abandoned car at the beach, a radio tuned to 2001 and A Fine Day to Exit, the flag in the ground for where Anathema would begin their journey into the unknown world of dark, contemporary music: beholden to no-one but themselves and the vision for what the band could be.  Sixteen years and four albums later the Anathema show no signs of giving up the ghost, continuing to explore an emotional tapestry of life on their newest album The Optimist.  It’s a beautiful, focused effort that channels a darkness and ultimate catharsis through mood, melody, and a adept touch with with electronics.   Continue reading →

Donuts & CANTO: Rammstein, Mötley Crüe, Taake and more!

DanLeave a comment
Rammstein

March 27, 2017

Good morning, it’s time to metal. Here’s some news you might have missed from over the weekend:

  • As always, a whole bunch of bands dropped new records on Friday, including Pallbearer, Memoriam and more. Check out Josh’s recap for the full list.
  • Rammstein have added dates in Chicago and Dallas to their limited U.S. run set to take place this summer. I was contemplating the Jones Beach gig — even though Jones Beach is the literal worst — until I took a look at StubHub and saw that even nosebleeds were going for $180 a pop. So, much as I’d like to see them a third time…nah.
  • It looks like Netflix is in talks to land the film adaptation of Mötley Crüe‘s autobiography, The Dirt — which I didn’t even realize was still a thing. When I was a freshman in high school, this was being talked about with Val Kilmer playing David Lee Roth. Now Kilmer can play present-day Vince Neil.
  • Holy shit, you guys, Taake have announced another U.S. tour. That’s the second in as many years. Holy shit. I can’t even snark about this, I’m just too excited.
  • Anathema have announced their new album, The Optimist. The album, the band’s eleventh, will be out June 9 on Kscope Records. BRB, Corey and I need to go change our pants.
  • For some reason, Quiet Riot has a new lineup, and I guess it did stuff over the weekend. Why does this exist. Why.
  • And finally, Ghost debuted an (allegedly) all-new lineup at a gig in the UK over the weekend. Here’s the performance of “Square Hammer” from that performance:

This is “all-new” in the same way that the sky is green and puppies aren’t adorable. But it’s okay, because “Square Hammer” is still totally kickass. Anyway, that’ll do it for now — check back this time tomorrow for our next edition!

Keep it heavy,
Dan