September 2024 playlist - Pure Reason Revolution, Ulcerate
3 min read
What I’ve been listening to in September?
Pure Reason Revolution - Coming Up To Consciousness (2024)
I stumbled upon this British band for the first time thanks to Steven Wilson, Porcupine Tree’s leader, as he invited PRR to be the supporting act of their Fear of a Blank Planet European tour in 2006. It was right after releasing their debut album The Dark Third. I had a chance to see them live in Warsaw, and the gig completely blew my mind. Strong, classic rock core, boldly flirting with electronic music and prog, uncontrollable energy, and that magical use of multi-layered vocals made me a fan instantly.
The Dark Third is an astonishing piece of music, still one of my all-time favourites, when it comes to modern prog rock. Since its release I couldn’t find the same quality and musicianship on any other of their records. And here it is - the new LP titled Coming Up to Consciousness. Impressive songwriting, fantastic production from Bruce Soord (Pineapple Thief), food-for-thought lyrics make up a 43 minutes long gem that I got addicted to really quickly, and I still keep on finding new exciting arrangement details. Enchantingly pinkfloydish vibe and beautiful melodies with a truly unique PRR twist.
Highlights: Betrayal, Useless Animal, Bend Down the Earth
Ulcerate - Cutting the Throat of God (2024)
Listening to Ulcerate feels like clutching through a sonic swamp, the mud pulling you in and somehow you surrender to resist, wanting to see what’s below the surface of the sludge mass.
Their sound is unquestionably unique - dense, yet selective, heavy as the universe. With each new record Ulcerate’s music becomes consistently more accessible thanks to more melodies incorporated into songs, but don’t let this fool you. Listening to Cutting the Throat of God is still a pretty demanding experience not for those of a weak heart (and ears). And this is exactly what draws me to them more with each and every new record - approaching their music is a challenge. Journey of finding beauty in extremity and brutality. Join me on that quest, it is worth the effort.
Highlights: The Dawn is Hallow, Further Opening the Wounds, Cutting the Throat of God
New in my collection
At the Gates - Slaughter of the Soul (1995)
Being on my wishlist for quite a long time, I finally managed to get a more recent press of Slaughter of the Soul - melodic death metal masterpiece from Gothenburg-based At the Gates. The full dynamic range remaster released by Earache sounds fantastic!
Let’s say I have a soft spot for music from Scandinavia, but this one here is truly a milestone and a historic piece when we speak about heavy music. Slaughter of the Soul - melodic death metal masterpiece from Gothenburg-based At the Gates was truly a spark that led to unstoppable development on the scene and countless other bands appearing and exploring melodic side of extreme music.
The album, released originally in 1995 when extreme metal was pretty much on the crossroads, preparing to step aside and make the way for incoming nu-metal revolution did the excatly opposite. It is a 34 minutes long punch straight in the face, a way of saying “hey, there is still a lot more to explore in metal, here, taste some of the revolution”. Very influential and “replayable” record that will keep inspiring new generations on the metal scene.