It’s New Music Friday! Check out our thoughts on 3 great new albums that just dropped this week!
Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Getaway
The Chili Peppers are a band that needs no introduction, and I probably don’t have to try and convince you to listen to their new album either, but I do want to tell you that it might not be what you’re expecting. I’ve only listened to the album one time through so far, and it is by far the most mellow album they’ve ever put out. Not in a “we’re getting old, let’s chill out” kind of way; it’s more of a “let’s make an album that just grooves smoothly and that people can jam when they’re hanging out in their backyard on a nice summer day” kind of mellow. Every song blends perfectly with the next one. Nothing feels forced or out of place. That’s the kind of musical intuition you only get from a band that’s 3 decades deep in professionalism. The title is very much a clue to the tone of the record if you look at it the right way. It’s not “Getaway” like you’re running for your life away from something. It’s a “getaway”, like taking a relaxing vacation. My favorite song so far has been “Encore”. It’s got a very smooth flow with an incredible bass line, and it picks up a little but never outpaces itself. I think long-time fans of the band especially will enjoy this record because it feels like they’re growing with us rather than trying to peddle some garbage music that desperately tries to be relevant, like most bands who’ve been around this long are doing these days. The Peppers don’t have to try to be relevant. They just always are.
Some of you may be familiar with Gojira, and some of you may not. If you’re a fan of bands like Neurosis or Mastodon then you’ve probably already heard of them, but if you’re not then there’s still hope for you yet. I sort-of think of Gojira as the Alice in Chains of progressive metal. Not in musical style, but more in cultural placement. Alice in Chains was lumped in with the grunge scene of the early 90’s but they were always pretty different from any of those other bands. They could easily tour with Soundgarden or Nirvana, but never sounded anything like either of those bands, or any other grunge band for that matter. Gojira are a lot like that. They’ve shared the stage with a lot of metal bands, but they’ve always been incomparable. Magma, their 6th full-length album, releases today and I can’t recommend it enough. It’ll have you swaying one second and then headbanging the next. If you like your metal with a complex mix of slow, sludgy rhythms and heavy riffs, then you definitely need to check this out.
Nails – You Will Never Be One Of Us
There is literally no way to speak eloquently about Nails. It would be pointless. First off, their blend of savage hardcore and brutal, grinding metal is about as far from eloquent as you can get. And secondly, they don’t give a f**k. About anything. I don’t mean that they don’t give a f**k in the way that some dirty, unwashed indie band doesn’t give a f**k; or how that one goth-rock band sings about how they don’t give a f**k, even though they spend hours on their makeup and costumes before taking the stage in front of 500 screaming girls and clearly give many f**ks. Nails legitimately, genuinely, and sincerely… DO. NOT. GIVE. A. F**K. You Will Never Be One Of Us is one of the albums I’ve been most anticipating this summer and it doesn’t disappoint. It is relentlessly vicious and plays like the soundtrack to a Kimbo Slice street fight. If you need something new to workout too, or you just really love fast, punishing metal, make sure to check out this album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPVt9yR8t2o