Pale Cremation “Alta Stranezza”

 

    The mastermind behind Pale Cremation, Matt Lasserre, is never one to simply hit repeat and put out the same monotonous sounding album. I would say that Matt is very driven on delivering music that features a variety of his musical influences. Also, his exploration into these thought provoking science fiction themes has really become a captivating quality on his most recent releases.  

    “Alta Stranezza,” might be one of his most bizarre and creative creations to date with its variety of musical styles blended together to paint an entropically futuristic vision. You could say that this album is like a Federico Fellini movie, but with a surreal science fiction twist that explores a dystopian world where humanity seems to be completely spiraling into insanity. Overall, Matt delivers a plethora of influences ranging from hard hitting doom riffs, to some new wave and synth driven sections, to even some 90’s industrial arrangements. I thought on Pale Cremation’s album, “Communion,” that Matt was really infusing more post-punk and new wave elements into the music, however, on “Alta Stranezza” he really takes it to a new level. 

There are five songs on the album with the opening song being close to twenty minutes long, which feels like a tip of the cap to his prog rock influences such as Rush and King Crimson. The first sounds you hear on the song are air raid sirens blaring to sound out a warning of what is to come. Right after the air raid sirens cease, Matt unleashes a crushing prog rock jam to take listeners on a rollercoaster of galactic musical chaos. Throughout the track I thought Matt added some really solid guitar leads and melodies to complement the heavy yet spacey sounding arrangements. Handling the drumming on the album is Anders V. Wienerholden who has worked with Matt before on past Pale Cremation releases. I think the production and recording of the drums is very well done and allows Matt to lay down some killer guitar work amongst the bombastic rhythms. Also, during the track Matt deviates from the slamming hard rock parts to offer listeners some out of this world synth compositions that make you feel like you are drifting into majestic cosmic realms deep in space. 

The second song on the album, “Termination Of Bio-Spheric Extremity,” contains a really HEAVY bass riff that I felt was a high point during the track, and reaffirms why Matt is known as the Bass Wizard. The third track, “Beyond the Dark Side of Science,” starts out with this very profound synth arrangement that almost sounds like it could be used at the beginning of a John Carpenter film with Kurt Russell walking down the street looking ready to kick some ass. During the song I liked when Matt started using a distorted vocal effect to deliver the lyrics as the music took on a very sinister industrial sound which was appropriate given the haunting lyrical content. 

On the fourth song, “Soul Wound (Phase V),” the music heads more into a synth heavy direction along with some other different sounding compositions. Actually, one of the arrangements reminded of something that you might have heard from The Police, which goes to show how this album is utterly diverse in terms of Matt’s musical influences. The last song on the album, “The Great Deluge of the Final Earth,” is a cataclysmic finale and starts off with a very heavy sounding guitar part. I felt as though the bombastic drum parts were extremely solid sounding and towards the end of there song the music begins to transition into a more trippy celestial style to conclude the mind-altering listening experience. 

Overall, what stood out the most for me on Pale Cremation’s “Alta Stranezza,” is that Matt has really become a master at incorporating all his different influences. Having followed Pale Cremation from the very first release as well as knowing Matt since his days as the bassist in bands like Scrape the Earth and Mournful Cries, I really do believe he has become a strong composer and his opened mindedness to different types of music can appeal to wide range of music fans. Also, unlike those bands and artists that are creating music to chase trends, Matt is a passionate fan going against the grain and bringing together all the different styles of music he enjoys to create his own unique sounding compositions which seems to sound more profound on each new album. 

Check out the entire album below : 

Pale Cremation Bandcamp:

https://palecremation.bandcamp.com/

The Chameleons “Arctic Moon”

    When people think of the 80's new wave and post-punk music scene, there are definitely certain bands that seem to get a majority of attention, which is unfortunate because there are a significant amount of underrated acts that deserve some much more credit. In the case of The Chameleons, they are an enigmatic gem in the world of music that may not get the some amount of recognition as their fellow post-punk/new wave contemporaries, however, their profound songwriter skills along with their captivating musicianship has established them as an everlasting presence amongst those who hold them in high regard. 

    The Chameleons return after not having put out a full-length album since their 2001 release, “Why Call It Anything,” with one extremely deeply inspiring new album titled, “Arctic Moon.” Even though this is only the band’s fifth full-length album to date, their first three albums released in the 80’s remain some of the most well recorded and timeless albums from that period with my favorite being, "Strange Times." It comes with no surprise that this band does not comprise their artist values, or drastically deviates from their musical ethos on, “Arctic Moon.” Once again, Vox’s lyrics are very powerful and his ability to write such vivid self-reflective songs strongly resonates with the fans. The band’s sound is extremely welcoming, while also creating a sense of caution as society drifts into a very entropic future. 

    The first song on the album, “Where Are You?,” is a brilliant opening track featuring a vibrant sounding opening riff to welcome the listener into this euphorically sonic wonderland. Also, I really enjoyed hearing the full chords used throughout the track which injects into the band’s sound a mighty burst of radiant energy. The second song on the album, “Lady Strange,” is a very calming and catchy tune with more warm sounding chord progressions to complement Vox’s comforting vocal delivery. Throughout the entire track I felt at peace as the song’s overall atmosphere is guided by a profound synergy. 

    One area of this album that I thought really stood out was the stellar production and orchestral arrangements. Pete Whitfield who is credited for the orchestral arrangements as well as performing on, “Feels Like the End of the World” and “David Bowie Takes My Hand,” provides an extra touch of brilliance two unbelievably moving tracks. “Feels Like the End of the World” begins as a very up beat sounding instrumental arrangement that eventually transitions into a more haunting direction towards the end of the song. Very similar to songs on the first three Chameleons albums, Reg Smithies dynamic style is able to pivot down a variety of musical path, thus offering listener’s a plethora of strikingly memorable and emotionally charged guitar parts. “Free Me,” and “Magnolia” are also two very creative pieces of music that once gain demonstrate the band’s tremendously tight songwriting skills. “Free Me,” has you hooked from the beginning of the track with its monumental acoustic chords which eventually grows into a phenomenal chorus section to lift you up. 

    The song thought that really steals the show and is probably the track that I would say represents this band’s undeniable prowess as songwriters is “David Bowie Takes My Hand.” Every single second of this song you are drawn into every sound and lyric, which is achieved by the exceptional production and inspiring instrumental arrangements. When you hear Vox sing the lyrics during the chorus section, one can vividly feel the raw emotional tone coming from his voice as you listen to each word over the epic instrumental arrangement. The final song on the album, “Saviors Are a Dangerous Thing,” was released as a single in May of this year, and really addresses a lot of what has been happening the world for years when pertaining to the idea of a leader coming and making grandiose promises. As I always say, never trust someone who comes up and says that they are here to help, especially if they drive a white van and are dressed up like a clown claiming to offer free candy. 

    Overall, The Chameleons “Arctic Moon” is an album that is desperately needing for 2025, but in the end can hopefully be a timeless inspiration for many years to come just like the band's other full-length albums. Compared to some old washed up mummified looking artists who write pretentious protest songs and sound like drunk constipated goats, The Chameleons genuine act that listeners can relate to with true appreciation and respect for their talents. I would highly recommend checking this album out, and if you have never heard of the Chameleons, then you shall hopefully become hooked after hearing this release which will then get you to listen to the band’s previous works. Even though the times right now feel chaotic and confusing, the music from The Chameleons can be a guiding light to lift one's self out of the murky suffocating darkness and into a state of much needed tranquility. 

Check out the music video for "Where Are You?" below via Metropolis Records: 

Lathe of Heaven “Aurora”

    In 2023 there was an album that came out which completely took me by surprise and without exaggeration would go on to be an album that I listen to rather frequently. The album that I am referring to is Lathe of Heaven’s debut album, “Bound by Naked Skies,” which is a truly brilliant sounding release containing some unbelievably profound lyrical content as well some utterly amazing post-punk/new wave arrangements. 

    When I first heard that Lathe of Heave was going to be releasing a follow-up album this year, I had mixed feelings about the announcement. As much as I welcomed the news, I could not ignore this slight hesitant feeling in regards to how the new release would be able to live up to the debut's profoundly captivating presence. Would Lathe of Heaven be able capture lightning in jar twice, or will it be a case of a band that completely deviates from what made them special on their first album? Well, after listening to the new album titled, “Aurora,” I can confidentiality say that Lathe of Heaven continues to present these captivating post-punk fueled songs with vivid lyrical vignettes inspired by science fiction literature and deep self-reflective themes that are drawn out from living in such an entropic world. 

    Although there are a lot of similarities between, “Bound By Naked Skies” and “Aurora,” I can definitely tell that the band pushed themselves in terms of the album’s production as well as how they went about trying to create some passionately reflective pieces of music. The opening song, “Exodus,” hooked me right away with the opening guitar arrangement having a very similar effect to that of music by The Chameleons. I can tell that Lathe of Heaven’s guitarist, Noel Mateus, sort of has a similar approach to crafting guitar parts like Reg Smithies from The Chameleons, especially when picking through these vibrant sounding chord progressions. On, “Exodus,” the band delivers a very classic post-punk sounding composition with a very catchy tempo driving the fearlessly song forward as Gage Allison’s vocals come gliding over the hypnotic sounding soundscape. The album’s second track and title track, “Aurora,” is a much more calming new wave/post-punk tale that talks about a dystopian world after nuclear fallout, yet also details the feelings of loss and affection. The song’s melodic tone matched with the bewitching tempo conjured up by the band’s drummer Stephen Reader, creates a comforting atmosphere to put your mind at ease. 

    Following, “Aurora,” the band goes from a more aggressive sounding style of song with, “Portrait of Scorched-Earth.” Inspired by the results of man's destructive tendencies and international conflict, the instrumental arrangement reminded me of songs from the debut album such as, “Inertia” and “The Breaking Strain.” Gage’s vocals become more fearsome as he shouts with unapologetic rage and the drums echo with a more thunderous sound. I think the track is a decent recording, however, the song is between two very exceptional tracks, with the following song, “Just Beyond the Reach of Light,” being my favorite song off of the album. In a way, “Just Beyond the Reach of Light,” sort of picks up where, “Aurora,” left off and really dives deep into the band’s versatile post-punk talents. Also, I think Gage’s vocals on “Just Beyond the Reach of Light,” were truly exceptional and you can vividly hear such genuine devotion to the topic he is singing about. Also, I thought the arrangement was one of their most dynamic and ambitious creations featuring some mesmerizing guitar parts. The album’s fourth song jumps more in a chaotic frenzy appropriately title, “Oblivion.” The bass lines Daniel Rojas lays down during the track are very impactful and compliment the frantic musical landscape which leaves one questioning their surroundings as they slowly begin to slip into the world without meaning. 

    For the second half of the album, the band offers even some more fascinating and eye opening tracks that I can see people who enjoy post-punk music/new wave really gravitating towards. “Kaleidoscope” is probably my second favorite song and after I listening to the track in my car driving around the day the album was released, I started to feel a very strong connection to this track. The song contains some powerful lyrics along with some very euphorically dreamy sounding instrumental parts. In addition to the calming post-punk style tracks, the band also returns with more Killing Joke-esque punchy pulsating rhythms on tracks like “Catatonia” and “Automation Bias.” I think “Automation Bias” is a strong thought provoking song which people can really relate to at this moment in time. I will admit that as much as I enjoyed the album’s final track, “Rorschach,” I do believe that the final song on their debut album, “Heralds of the Circuit-Born” was possibly one of the best ending tracks I have heard in a while. My reason for that last statement is that when you listen to, “Heralds of the Circuit-Born,” you become filled with all these different emotions and Gage’s voice provides a very comforting sendoff. Again, I have no issues with, “Rorschach,” and the song fits with the album’s magnetic post-punk energy. However, I do believe that, “Heralds of the Circuit-Born,” will forever be one of the most serene sounding conclusions to an album. 

    Now for those of you are regular readers of this blog, I would probably estimate that this is one of my longest reviews. Although that should be expected given how much respect and appreciation I have for Lathe of Heaven, especially when pertaining to their debut album. In the end, “Aurora,” did not disappointment in the least bit and once again proves that the members of this band are an undeniably talented and a extremely passionate. “Aurora” contains substance both musically and lyrically, and this group is extremely dedicated to their artistic vision. With all the insanity going on in the world, I have come to view Lathe of Heaven as an inspiration, and I do hope more people discover this band and become captivated by their music like I did when first hearing them. 

Check out the music video for "Aurora" below:

Lathe of Heaven Bandcamp:

https://latheofheaven.bandcamp.com/album/aurora

Album Recommendation: The Mission “God’s Own Medicine”

    There are some albums in the history of rock music that really do stand the test of time and still holdup when you listen to them today. I've come across countless releases that I believe would fall into this category, and the debut album from UK band The Mission titled “God’s Own Medicine,” is in my opinion one of those perennial albums. 

    Originally released in November of 1986, The Mission’s debut album came to be after singer/guitarist Wayne Hussey and bassist Craig Adams left their previous band The Sisters of Mercy to start a new group. Joined by guitarist Simon Hinkler and drummer Mick Brown, this new band looked to continue to explore the post-punk/new wave/goth rock soundscapes which Wayne and Craig had created in The Sisters of Mercy, but they would also go on to create a truly unique sound of their own with the release of The Mission's debut album. 

    Lyrically, this album features some extremely captivating lyrics to the accompany the haunting melodies and mesmerizing chord progressions. From the opening lines on the first song, “Wasteland,” where Hussey delivers the memorable lines with such a solemn sounding tone, “I still believe in God, but God no longer believes in me,” instantly grips you before being introduced to the vibrant sounding galloping guitar riff. I definitely believe, “Wasteland,” is a great opening song that features some brilliant arrangements to complement the song’s very deep and impactful sound. Wayne Hussey’s vocals are extremely well recorded and his voice perfectly soars over the instruments during the chorus section to deliver some unbelievably emotionally charged lyrics. Throughout the album I would say that the chorus sections vividly stand out on each track, which one can attribute to how the band masterfully transitions from the verse sections to choruses. Also, instead of overwhelming their compositions with unnecessary synths to create massive sounding atmospheres, the dynamic guitar work incorporated on each song really builds up these monumental sounding musical landscapes.  

    Another aspect about this album that cannot be overlooked, and definitely adds to the band's unique sound, is Hussey’s use of a 12-string electric guitar. On tracks like, “Wasteland,” “And the Dance Goes On,” and “Severina” the overall sound benefits from the extra fullness of the 12-string, especially during the chorus sections. Out of the three singles released from the album, "Stay With Me,” “Wasteland,” and “Severina,” I would say that, “Severina,” is the one track that people tend to recognize the most from the album, and in my opinion would be very influential on future goth rock/new wave/post-punk artists. Again, the utilization of full chords mixed with the haunting melodies and tight rhythm section due to the solid bass lines from Craig Adams as well as Mick Brown’s tight drumming, makes the music flow with a profound synergy. 

    My favorite song on the album, “Love Me to Death,” is a very bewitching song that I would describe as a romantic gothic love song where you hear these haunting words that manifest over the gloomy sounding chords. The female vocalist in the background provides a great contrast to Hussey’s voice, which ends up highlight the song’s strong emotional theme. Just like with, “Severina” and some of the other tracks on this album, “Love Me to Death,” is rich with mesmerizing atmospheres conjured up by Hussey and Hinkler guitar work. 

    In the end, I write this recommendation as I strongly believe that this album is one of those releases which can appeal to a wide range of music fans. The band’s sound and style definitely fits in with some of the other goth rock/new wave bands of the time, but also goes beyond due in large part to the exceptional songwriting skills and memorable arrangements. The band has released plenty of other solid albums following, “God’s Own Medicine,” however if you have not heard anything from The Mission before then I think the debut album is where you should start without question. Actually, the band is soon to be going on tour in April with plenty of West Coast dates lined-up, so I'd definitely recommend going if you have the chance. 

Check out the song "Wasteland" below:

Lathe of Heaven “Bound by Naked Skies”

    With lyrical themes inspired by classic and contemporary science-fiction authors as well as a sound that blends together hardcore punk, post-punk and new wave, NYC based band Lathe of Heaven offers listeners an unbelievably profound debut album. Titled, “Bound by Naked Skies,” the album captures the pure essence of 80’s inspired post-punk/new wave, while also having a uniquely refreshing sound from start to finish. 

    I came across this album through the Youtube channel, No Deal, which is a great channel to subscribe to if you are a fan of hardcore punk, post-punk and crust punk. Lathe of Heaven reminds me so much of what you would have heard coming from the UK and Europe during that late seventies and early eighties period where you had punk bands starting to experiment more with electronics, dark atmospheres and haunting synth arrangements. You hear a bit of Killing Joke and Siouxsie and the Banshees in their sound as well as new wave acts such as OMD and early Echo and the Bunnymen. They really do such a great job recording a refreshing sounding album by coming up with some very catchy verse and chorus sections wrapped up in these mesmerizing compositions. Also, the band’s vocalist has a captivating delivery that grabs your attention right away and puts your mind at easy while you listening to words soar over the enchanting post-punk instrumental arrangements.  

    The album features eleven tracks, and I can guarantee that there are no filler songs on the entire release. Everything seems to be in perfect synchronicity when the band launches into the first song on the album, "At Moment's Edge." The guitar notes ring out with such an awe-inspiring sound and the guitar effects used by the guitarist create an extremely comforting atmosphere. On the second song, “Ekpyrosis,” the band comes up with a more punchy sounding piece of post-punk music that reminded me of classic Killing Joke. The lyrics vividly standout out as you slowly become engrossed in the catchy sounding musical landscape. Also, the bass tone on this track as well as most tracks on this album is truly immaculate sounding and adds so much to the band's overall sound. 

    Other tracks like, “Genome” and “Inertia,” continue to emphasize this classic post-punk/new wave sound that explores themes of science fiction and deep thought provoking concepts. Musically the band does not disappoint and the riffs on this album simply take you away from all the chaos and despair of modern society to look beyond what our current reality has to offer. “Moon-Driven Sea,” takes a turn down a more solemn sounding pathway, one which caught my attention instantly and made me forget about everything around me as I listened intently to the singer’s enchanting vocal delivery which follows along to the spectral guitar chords. 

    Another track that I want to point out is, "Ilusi ó n de Luces (Cold's Embrace),” because on this song there is another singer who starts the song off and then switches with the band’s primary singer. The contrasting voices makes the overall composition extremely fascinating, while also perfectly matching song’s quick and frantic tempo. I think what I took away most from this album was how strong the songwriting was on the entire release. There are few albums I have come across whether they be metal, rock, or punk releases that have such a captivating quality. 

    Lathe of Heaven’s “Bound by Naked Skies” has the potential to be a highly sought after release, especially amongst fans who enjoy 80’s post-punk and new wave. When I saw that Sacred Bones was the label that would be putting this album out, I knew Lathe of Heaven was in good hands since Sacred Bones is a label that is known for promoting very talented, highly driven and passionately creative acts. I do hope more people check this album out, because even if you are not a massive fan of this type of music, the songwriting and I think the overall sound of this album can be extremely appealing to a wide range of people. No matter what year or decade it happens to be, I strongly believe Lathe of Heaven is a band that will be able to transcend musical trends and maintain to passionate cult like following thanks to what they accomplished on this album. 

Check out the video for "At Moment's Edge" below:

Lathe of Heaven Bandcamp:

https://latheofheaven.bandcamp.com/album/bound-by-naked-skies

Low Moments "Picked Dead Last in the Dodgeball Game of Life"

    I know, some of you are questioning why Rob “The Metal Guy” is reviewing a non-hard rock/heavy metal album. I can just imagine a kvlt black metal badass seeing this and calling me a poser from their mom’s basement while eating a Hot Pocket. However, I thinking that it should be know that I listen a variety of different artists and even though this blog is called the Rock and Metal Temple, I am always willing to review and promote artists that I believe people should check out.  

    For many year I have been a fan of new wave, synth wave and dark wave, anything with "wave" attached to the end, so when the opportunity came upon to review this new release from the band, Low Moments, I thought here is a great opportunity to breakaway from what I usually review. Plus, with an album cover as hilariously clever as, “Picked Dead Last in the Dodgeball Game of Life,” you know that this is an album worth checking out. All the songs on this album actually have pretty amusing titles, but the music is very unique and very diverse. You do hear a lot of catchy synth pop arrangements, as well as some gloomy new wave elements. Also, the songs are rather short in terms of length, which I found refreshing to hear and helped the album flow from start to Finnish without much issue. 

    What stood out the most was how a song could be extremely catchy and full of brilliant sounds, yet contain some very interesting lyrics. I mean, the song titles alone are sheer genius and capture the type of personality I want from a band looking to experiment with a variety of styles and sounds. “Asthmatic Around Ladies,” is one song that I found to be extremely entertaining and it actually features some really creative sounding bass parts. Being a huge fan of New Order I always like hearing those sharp sounding bass parts to inject some extra moodiness to the overall sound. On the song, “Always Outside the In-Joke,” the music brings you into this very vibrant sounding world, which is also met by the singers very sad and solemn voice. 

    The album contains a handful of very short instrumental jams, some of which I would definitely like to hear expanded and incorporated into future material. I mean, the synth arrangements and melodies can be extremely addictive sounding at times, but then some of them can sound like samples from a cheesy 80’s TV show about detectives in Miami shooting at drug dealers who are supposed to be from a foreign country yet look like they have fake spray tans and talk with painfully phony accents. One instrumental track that I really enjoyed was, “When Your Song Title Are Better Than Your Songs,” because the title one again highlights into this band’s sarcastic sense of humor. I could even have seen this song with its trippy 80's sounding guitar riff being used as the theme music for a movie that blends together the worlds of John Waters and John Hughes. I would have loved to have seen a Divine meets the Breakfast Club film, or Divine as the lead role in Uncle Buck. 

    “But No, For Real, I’m Good at Nunchucks,” was one track that all humor aside really caught my attention. Even though the song is not very long you are presented with this rush of creative ideas and the punky sounding riff towards the end provided an extra touch of 80's sounding adrenaline rushing attitude. Low Moments may like to come off as a humorous act at times with their songs titles, but the musicianship is no joke and the quality of the recordings is very impressive for the most part. 

    Throughout the entire album I cannot say that I was offended, or completely disturbed by anything, so if anyone wanted to hear some classic sounding synth pop music to reminded them of the 80’s instead of that obnoxious Netflix show about Russians, a girl with supernatural powers exactly like Carrie and monsters practically stolen from the first Resident Evil film, then I highly recommend listening to this album. Low Moments is definitely the band to be playing right now as you cruise around in your Delorean drinking your New Coke and making all the young kids in your neighborhood think you are going through a midlife crisis. 

Check out the video for "Asthmatic Around Ladies" : 

Low Moments : 

https://lowmoments.bandcamp.com/