Time for Part 2, let’s get straight into it.

MØL - Jord

In Part 1 I was getting drawn into a bit of doom metal and in Part 2 here I am getting into black metal. It just goes to show that good music is always good music regardless of the genre. When I say good music while referring to MØL’s Jord I mean REALLY GOOD MUSIC. On my very first listen the opening notes to track one had me thinking of the intro to Twin Peaks which is not a bad way to start any album. After the initial calm the opening track Storm lives up to its name and just explodes into a spectacular wall of reverberating rage like the universe has just caught fire. Not many albums do their opening better than this. Jord as an album is a seriously rewarding listen but definitely not for the faint hearted. The vocals are deafening and uncompromising in their brutality and the wall of sound underneath is excruciating in its intensity but through all of this horror some beauty still manages to break through in the form of guitar licks and tones that give me goosebumps every time I hear them. The album, despite its heaviness manages to be quite uplifting as a result. The tracks flicker between long bouts of of extremely heavy, extremely fast drumming, riffing and screaming and more laid back sounding moments but there is always an underlying pace and drive present which makes this album seem much shorter that it actually is. Many of you will hate it but a few, hopefully more than just a few will, like me, fucking adore it.

The Head Scratcher Score: 10/10 Girlfriend Score: 3/10 "not exactly a sing-a-long"

Conjurer - Mire

Continuing my whirlwind romance with some of the more extreme edges of metal I’ve also been listening to Conjurer’s debut album Mire. This album is just as heavy as anything found on Jord but foregoes that underlying beauty for more layers of uncompromising brutality. That doesn’t mean that Mire is a slog, far from it. The riffs, while punishing, are diverse and there are multiple changes of pace throughout to keep things interesting. This is an album that’s quite happy to slow things right down to a crawling pace before opening the flood gates and setting free an unstoppable, unforgiving tsunami. This all helps to break up the pounding drums, savage riffing, guttural growls and rasping screams to avoid the fatigue that sometimes sets in whilst listening to heavier music. As the name of the album suggests, Mire is a filthy listen and you might just feel the need to take a bath after listening through in its entirety. It’s murky, grimy, unpleasant, raw, scathing, excruciating, bruising and might just punch you in the face if you look at it the wrong way but above all that it’s bloody brilliant. Again this album will be a hard sell to many but if you have an ear for bleak, intense and savage music, make sure you give Conjurer a chance and check out their outstanding debut album.

The Head Scratcher Score: 9/10 Girlfriend Score: 2/10 "he's actually growling, I don't like that at all"

Spanish Love Songs - Schmaltz

Whilst talking about Mire I mentioned that you might want to take a bath after listening to it. Well Schmaltz by Spanish Love Songs could be that bath, an aural bath of wonderful punk rock. However it would only be a musical bath (I need to get off this bath analogy) not a thematic one as the subject matter is still decidedly bleak (full of disappointment and heartbreak) but the music is unstoppably catchy and delightful to listen to. In many ways Spanish Love Songs remind me of bands such as Alkaline Trio, Bayside and more recently Creeper but they shouldn’t simply be written off as wannabe copycats as they can absolutely stand up to the quality of their peers. They write seriously good songs that are full of pace and energy and feature unforgettable hooks, riffs and choruses. This is an album that absolutely takes me back to my late teens / early twenties and perhaps that nostalgia trip is part of the reason I like it so much. Mostly though I like it because it fucking rocks and I can enjoy this much more than the more recent offerings from either of the classic bands I mentioned and I think this also beats out Creeper’s excellent Eternity, In Your Arms. If you like your punk rock on the darker more brooding side (and even if you don’t) then I would urge you to look past the ridiculous name and give Schmaltz by Spanish Love Songs the attention it deserves.

The Head Scratcher Score: 9/10 Girlfriend Score: 7/10 "it hits all the nostalgia buttons"

Zeal & Ardor - Stranger Fruit

Devil is Fine by Zeal & Ardor was one of 2017’s breakout hits merging chain gang vocals with more traditional black metal stylings to stunning effect. If you can imagine the well known slave chant Wade in the Water mixed with heavy guitar riffs then you’re not too far off but Jamie Lenman’s Mississippi is actually the closest thing I can think of. This somewhat bizarre combination came about from a request on 4chan to merge the genres and the creator thought the results were so good that he turned that concept into a full album. Stranger Fruit takes that initial concept and further refines it, upping the ante over Devil is Fine in pretty much every department. I simply cannot get enough of this style of music. The infectious balance of ear worm chain gang chants, heavy riffs, catchy guitar licks, wretched screams, latin incantations and atmospheric interludes strike a serious chord with my musical sensibilities and I can see this being a firm favourite for a long time. I find I struggle with a lot of the more extreme sides of metal as the vocals can often be uncompromising and fatigue begins to set in at times but with Stranger Fruit that never happens due to the sheer variety of styles on offer. Anyone who likes the heavier side of alternative music should give this a listen as I feel that many could find it being a serious gateway drug into the weird and wonderful word of extreme music.

The Head Scratcher Score: 10/10 Girlfriend Score: 6/10 "it has potential"

Well that's us bang up to date. I hope you do take the time to check out some of the music featured here and in Part 1. See you in another 8 weeks.

Peace.