METALLIC FALCONS Desert Doughnuts (Voodoo-Eros) cd 15.98
Metallic Falcons is the collaborative project of Cocorosie's Sierra Cassidy and partner in musical crime Matteh Baim. Their debut is a bewildering yet utterly beguiling amalgam of neo-folk's earthen weavings, rock's electricity, cathedral-reverbed choral vocals and some as yet unpinpointables. At times Desert Doughnuts is quite reminiscent of reverential to Jarboe-era Swans in its broken beauty and spiralling dark dreams. However there's much more that rings familiar here than that aspect. Could it be the additional contributing efforts from the likes of Antony, Jana Hunter and Devendra Banhart? Why yes, it definitely could! Together they've crafted a most hauntingly beautiful patchwork tapestry that -- dare we say? -- on a few passages surpasses the individuals' solo missions.
MPEG Stream: "Airships"
MPEG Stream: "Nighttime And Morning"

METALLICA ...And Justice For All (Warner Bros) 2lp 25.00

METALLICA Death Magnetic (Warner Bros.) cd 16.98
The pros and cons of Metallica's new album, pretty much off the top of our heads:
Pro - It's literally AT LEAST a million times better than their last album, St. Anger.
Con - Of course, that might not be saying that much, since St. Anger was absolutely one of the worst albums ever made.
Pro - It's also much better than Load/Reload/whatever else they've done since the Black Album.
Con - That also didn't take much.
Pro - It's actually metal, which is what a Metallica album should be!
Con - James' singing is still still pretty 'chain wallet' though.
Pro - There's guitar solos this time around, they actually let Kirk play his guitar!
Con - They're still letting Lars play drums. And boy does he sound tired on some of this.
Pro - Produced by Rick Rubin.
Con - Rick Rubin producing Slayer in 1986 is not the same as Rick Rubin producing Metallica in 2008.
Pro - Definitely some decent riffs here. Parts of "The End Of The Line" are pretty badass ferinstance. We're also digging how chunky and speedy and thrashy the likes of "My Apocalypse" and "All Nightmare Long" get, amongst others.
Con - Lots of 'meh', sensitive dude parts too.
Pro - The digipack packaging is really nifty, with a die cut cover and cd booklet that gives a 3-D effect to the coffin shape depicted in the cover art.
Con - "The Unforgiven III". That's right. III.
Pro - Like old Metallica, most of the songs are at least 7 minutes long.
Con - Most of the songs are at least 7 minutes long.
Ok, enough. We were just trying to be funny with the last one.
Lots of pros, cons too. And maybe Metallica, with Napster and Some Kind Of Monster and Load and St. Anger and haircuts and everything, have made it impossible to be objective about them at all.
Basically, one reaction is that, hey it sounds something like old Metallica, and at this point, that's something to be thankful for! Of course, also at this point, if you want to listen to old Metallica, chances are you're gonna just put on Master Of Puppets or Kill 'Em All, or one of their other albums that are all pros, pretty much no cons...
Basically, the diehard '80s Metallica fans here at AQ are never gonna truly be happy with these guys again, unless Cliff comes back from the dead, but heck at least the average radio-listener, record-buyer is getting something fairly metal out of the deal, more metal than Metallica has been in a looooong time. If we're gonna get a new Metallica shoved down our throats, it could have been a whole lot worse. (They've proved it in the past.) Now, if they'd have done another Diamond Head cover on here, we really might be calling it a comeback. That would have been sweet. In the meantime, we WILL be spinning Death Magnetic, mentally weighing record review pros and cons but also unconsciously air guitaring and headbanging... whoops, were we doing that? To the new Metallica?? Shit, maybe we DO like this!
Oh and here's another pro: it's cool that Kirk is still rockin' the long hair, like he's still in Exodus or something, even though maybe he shouldn't. Getting close to the dreaded "Gallagher!"
MPEG Stream: "That Was Just Your Life"
MPEG Stream: "The End Of The Line"

METALLICA Garage, Inc. (Elektra) 2cd 23.00
Well, easily the best Metallica record of the last decade or so...of course, it's all covers, one disc of old stuff (including, the classic Garage Days Revisted and Re-Revisted eps) and another disc of newly-recorded cover versions, everything from Sabbath to Nick Cave, from Misfits to Mercyful Fate.

METALLICA Ride the Lightning (Warner Bros.) cd 17.98

METALLICA S&M (Elektra) 2cd 23.00
Seems like a bad idea, sure (the band playing with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra). But surprisingly some of this actually works. They start off with a Morricone cover which segues perfectly into their instrumental opus "Call of Ktulu." The slow ones work best seeing as they are basically slowed down Wagner played on guitar. The fast ones are a mess. I (Andee speaking here) was there, and I can tell you it was worth it just to see a shirtless metalhead ejected for stage diving at the symphony.

METALLICA St. Anger (Elektra) cd 16.98
We knew that we had to take the "return to Master of Puppets thrash" hype about this record with a massive grain of salt, but it kinda does sound like they were making an effort to be especially heavy and aggro and thrashy. Unfortunately they forgot that along with the chugga chugga guitars and violent drumming, you need to write songs! After six years (and at least two disappointing albums previous), it's pretty clear that the emperor has no clothes. I mean, it sounds like a mediocre local band (actually, they ARE a local band, but what we mean is that the production and songwriting are not up to snuff). There's a Metallica *influence* (especially in the vocals!) but it doesn't really sound like the "real" Metallica. Apparently they wrote this in the studio with the tape rolling, in an attempt to capture a raw hardcore immediacy, which instead seems to have resulted in an unfinished and almost demo-like album. Did anyone hear any guitar solos? And what about those lyrics? Sounds like James took a semester of Rhyming 101. Ugh. Sorry we have to slag this off so heavily, but man it sucks. Jason did the right thing. Comes with bonus DVD of live in the studio performances, while supplies last (which they probably will).

METALLICA DRUMMER (Neverending Entertainment) video 5.98
Holy smokes! Final copies in existence! Only available here! Now lower priced!
It's the infamous and highly sought Metallica Drummer video which has been sadly out of print for five years much to the chagrin of those whose lives were severely altered by viewing the tape. Those individuals will surely not want to miss out this time around. In fact, for those of you who were fortunate enough to nab a copy the first time around, it's undoubtably been worn thin from repeat plays. I know mine has. Time for a fresh copy! For those who have yet to experience Metallica Drummer... hoooo boy, brace yourself!
Released once again by Neverending Entertainment aka Cup and her I Am Spoonbender bandmate Dustin. Apart from buying it directly from them at their shows, AQ is pleased as punch to be the *only* other place to get it.
Here's what we said the first time around...
You have certainly spent many idle moments staring at the wall dreaming of stardom. You've spent inspired Sunday afternoons dancing on your bed, singing your favorite song to the illusion of thousands of adoring, screaming fans below. But have you been caught?
Metallica Drummer, as he has come to be known, set-up a video camera in his livingroom, put on some of his favorite Metallica songs and gave an air-drumming performance with no equal. This is truly one of the funniest things that I have ever seen. The humor lies not only in laughing at this embarrassing moment, but in the utter fascination with someone who is so obsessed with Lars Ulrich that he is able to replicate his drumming with absolute accuracy. I am certain that he sold his soul at the crossroads to acquire these unparallelled air-drum skills. An astonishing personal document. "He's talented! He's obsessed! He's Canadian! He's... Metallica Drummer!"
Ultra limited and sure to go fast, and once they're gone, they're gone! So don't snooze and lose again!

METALOCALYPSE Dethklok: Dethalbum II (Deluxe Edition) (Adult Swim) cd+dvd 17.98

MPEG Stream: "Laser Cannon Deth Sentence"
MPEG Stream: "I Tamper With The Evidence At The Murder Site of Odin"
MPEG Stream: "Murmaider II: The Water God"

METALOCALYPSE Dethklok: The Dethalbum (Adult Swim) lp 22.00

METALOCALYPSE Season II: Black Fire Upon Us (Adult Swim) 2dvd 34.00
Dethklok is back!!! Our favorite animated purveyors of apocalyptic metal destruction have returned to face their demons both mighty and petty. In season two, they venture into the horrors of fashion, P.R., detox, the dating scene, state politics, as well as staging the largest public criminal execution of all time and of course botching it big time. This season they are faced with new mortal enemies from the Tribunal (one voiced by Malcolm McDowell), as well as an army of disfigured and damaged former fans called The Revengencers. Can Dethklok finally release their new record to save the World Economy, or will they be crippled by their childish infighting and developmentally challenged destructive behaviors? We never listed the first season, but we were all pretty much OBSESSED. The music is amazing, so good it's hard to believe they're not a real band, and the band members various accents are SO impossible to understand which almost makes it funnier and will probably have you turning on the subtitles, and the carnage, oh the carnage, so much blood...
Brutal!

METALOCALYPSE Season One (Adult Swim) 2dvd 35.00

METALOCALYPSE: DETHKLOK The Dethalbum (Williams Street / Adult Swim) cd 14.98

METALUCIFER Heavy Metal Bulldozer (Iron Pegasus) lp 17.98

METALUCIFER Heavy Metal Chainsaw (R.I.P) cd 14.98
You have to be pretty darn metal to get into this band, and that's as it should be: no poseurs allowed!! Metalucifer are Japanese metalheads (some from the cult black metal combo Sabbat) paying tribute to the glory days of '80s true metal, a la Maiden and Priest. This is their third album, following up to 1998's "Heavy Metal Drill" and 1996's "Heavy Metal Hunter" (what's next, Heavy Metal Hacksaw? Heavy Metal Pliers?). Brilliant, aren't they? And utterly ridiculous of course, something I doubt guitarist Elizabigore or bassist Geniezoluzifer would deny. In fact, they may be the MOST ridiculous tongue in cheek (yet kick ass) metal band ever. Get this: track four on here is called "My Way Is Heavy Metal" while on their previous disc they had an anthem entitled "Heavy Metal Is My Way". Wow. If you think that's stupid, I don't need to tell you not to buy this album. But if you think that's kinda rad, then, this is for you -- and it's not just for laffs either, 'cause they really do lay down the metal law fairly convincingly: screaming guitar leads, triumphant lyrics, pounding drums, majestic riffs, the works. A Thor for today. Over-the-top and awesome.
RealAudio clip: "Warriors Ride On The Chariots"
RealAudio clip: "Heavy Metal Samurai"

METALUCIFER Heavy Metal Drill (Iron) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This Japanese metal band should win some sort of award for their name, not to mention their song titles: "Heavy Metal Is My Way", "Heavy Metal Drill", "Heavy Metal Hunter"...you get the idea. '80s leather & shades speed metal worship with all the Maidenesque guitar leads you could desire, topped off with charmingly warped English language lyrics/vocal delivery. Metalucifer is a side project of cult black metal band Sabbat, if that means anything to you. Fun stuff.

METALUCIFER Heavy Metal Hunter (Metal Proof Records / R.I.P. Records) cd 13.98
As you might guess after seeing 'em posing for pictures in front of a wall of vintage metal vinyl, these Japanese nutjobs are bigger metal maniacs than almost anyone else on the planet. And, they manage to do justice to their obssession with the music they make. This here disc is metal proof: the "ultimate US edition" of their debut album Heavy Metal Hunter, augmented by English language-tracks taken from their hard to find Heavy Metal Drill disc. Thus this includes 2 versions of title track "Heavy Metal Hunter pt.1" (one with extra solos) and a take of "Heavy Metal Hunter pt. 2" along with such songs as "Wolf Man" (both Japanese and English versions), "Bloody Countess" (likewise), "Headbanging" (ditto), and more. Totally old school, NWOBHM worship goin' on, delivered in a delightful tongue-in-cheek fashion -- we think. If you've ever seen local San Francisco metallers The Lord Weird Slough Feg end a live set with their raging cover of "Heavy Metal Hunter" you'll probably want this disc (and as it happens we have just enough copies to provide for the needs of all three of you).
MPEG Stream: "Heavy Metal Hunter pt. 1"

METALUX Fluorescent Towers (Hanson) cd 7.98
From the latest handful of releases on Ann Arbor's Hanson Records comes this Chicago trio of art twaddlers and tape manipulators, Metalux. Having been around for a few years without a record, and hearing much about their live shows, my hopes of a band over their self indulgent "experimental" beginnings - formulating a more refined and original creature- were cut short on my first listen. Unfortunately on "Fluorescent Towers", Metalux still sound like a new band. That's not to say you won't like this if you're into (the now defunct, yet legendary Chicago trio) Dot Dot Dot, Woof Pies or the (more appropriately cryptic sounding) Rubber O Cement). A complete mess, this record sounds like small children with electronic toys and open reels trying to recreate an homage to Royal Trux's even more fucked and disarrayed "Twin Infinitives". Unfortunately for Metalux, this sort of stuff practically clogs the record racks these days. Oh yeah, Metalux also features members of Bride Of No No and Nautical Almanac in their personnel. Great.

METALUX Fluorescent Towers (Hanson) lp 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
From the latest handful of releases on Ann Arbor's Hanson Records comes this Chicago trio of art twaddlers and tape manipulators, Metalux. Having been around for a few years without a record, and hearing much about their live shows, my hopes of a band over their self indulgent "experimental" beginnings - formulating a more refined and original creature- were cut short on my first listen. Unfortunately on "Fluorescent Towers", Metalux still sound like a new band. That's not to say you won't like this if you're into (the now defunct, yet legendary Chicago trio) Dot Dot Dot, Woof Pies or the (more appropriately cryptic sounding) Rubber O Cement). A complete mess, this record sounds like small children with electronic toys and open reels trying to recreate an homage to Royal Trux's even more fucked and disarrayed "Twin Infinitives". Unfortunately for Metalux, this sort of stuff practically clogs the record racks these days. Oh yeah, Metalux also features members of Bride Of No No and Nautical Almanac in their personnel. Great.

METALYCEE Another White Album (Mosz) cd 15.98
Glitchy Viennese electronica (from the scene featuring the likes of Martin Siewert, who mastered this) that, as the name actually is meant to imply, incorporated some METAL elements. Chunky guitar riffs, chopped up. Pretty cool.

METAMATICS Dayglo Tinsel (District Six) 12" 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A few years back, Clear Records made a big stink about some upcoming electronica greats called Metamatics, and released some limited edition singles and an album. The key to their proclamations must have been 'upcoming', as those releases were downright dull. Three years later, District Six has released the best work from Metamatics... 4 tracks of moody, downbeat electro-jazz falling in between Boards of Canada, Spacetime Continuum, and Carl Craig. A solid release.

METAMATICS Neo-Ouija (Hydrogen Dukebox) cd 16.98
Unlike the majority of electronica artists who change their moniker like they change pants, Metamatics has retained their name after a number of stylistic changes. "Neo Ouija" finds the outfit embracing an essentialized drum & bass that takes the jazz infused elements of LTJ Bukem to a brittle skitterish shuffle, full of precious breakbeats and melodies.

METAPHROG / HEY / MUM Louis : Dreams Never Die (Fat Cat) cd + book 14.98
It's a great week for Mum fans! We just got in their Nightly Cares 3"cd/7" single and this 'all ages' graphic novel which stars Louis, the dumpling-ish looking main character (he kinda looks like a crudely drawn baby turtle creature that could be from Andee's fave Homestar Runner website), as well as a supporting cast of frollicking carrots, mechanical dogs, polka-dot mushrooms, a wizard and a frumpy Hitler-looking villain. There's some great lines of dialogue (a sampling: "My eyebrows are crawling all over my face" and "Suffocating in a custard world"), but you might be wondering how is Mum involved? Well, they along with the band Hey have each contributed a wistful version of the theme song "Dreams Never Die To FC" for the accompanying cd which also contains some animated Louis flicks with Mum/Hey soundtrack music to boot.
MPEG Stream: "Dreams Never Die To FC"

METASTASE Lassitude / Decroissance (D' Automne) 7" 8.98
Super limited debut release from these Quebecois funeral doomlords, whose sounds definitely hews closer to the sort of washed out dronedreamdrone doom we've been digging so much lately, that strange liturgical murk of Skepticism, mixed with the doom-ed psychedelia of Megaton Leviathan, the sound shimmery and almost shoegazey, the guitars warm and soft focus, the vocals airy and ethereal, in fact the A side is downright blissed out, and when the more metal VOKILLS finally come in, a rumbly demonic growl, even then it manages to sound sort of blurred and bleary, especially with the other more clean and chantlike vocals, a seriously dreamy chunk of downtuned dirgery that almost sounds like a doom metal Low.
The B side slows it down even further, adding some keening mournful melodies, the guitars massive and warm, lush and layered, the vocals another layer of low end, gorgeously viscous and beautifully blackened, a haunting melancholic creep, that is more tranquil and mesmerizing that pummeling or pulverizing. The second half of the song adds some extra clean guitar melodies, and what sounds like swirling synths, and in a surprising twist gets a little bit mathy, but a slow woozy mathiness, that only manages to make it sound even more strange and psychedelic.
LIMITED TO 550 COPIES!!! Pressed on green vinyl, with a printed full color cardstock insert.
MPEG Stream: "Lassitude"

METERS, THE Look-Ka Py Py (Josie / Rhino) lp 14.98

METERS, THE Rejuvenation (Sundazed) cd 13.98

METERS, THE s/t (Josie / Rhino) lp 14.98

METGUMBNERBONE Ligeliahorn (Redux) (Sedayne) cd-r 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
What a mouthful! Metgumbnerbone was an obscure post-industrial / drone-improv project that centered around the collaboration between Richard & Philip Rupenus (better known as The New Blockaders, and often Organum partners), John Mylotte, and Sean Breadin (who with Richard Rupenus formed the oblique ritual project Masstishaddhu). From what little information is available about the group, Metgumbnerbone only had a couple releases back in the mid '80s with "Ligeliahorn" being the only recording to get beyond the short run productions of cassette culture with a vinyl release on the now defunct A Mission records. As with all of the Metgumbnerbone recordings, "Ligeliahorn" was recorded entirely in the subterranean (and potentially hazardous) confines of an abandoned factory in Newcastle, England. The collective used the ductwork of the factory and whatever else was laying around as readymade percussive and wind instruments, creating sustained rythmic clatter and acoustic dronescrapes which fluctated into recognizable cyclical patterns and out towards sparse pipe fights. Metgumbnerbone's junkyard sound was always much colder, more sedate, and more funereal than the massive apocalyptic pummel of Einsturzende Neubauten or San Francisco's Scot Jenerik, despite their similarity in instrumentation.
This cd-r redux of "Ligeliahorn" was remastered from an original demo cassette of the album, as Breadin and Myotte had lost the masters for the vinyl. In reconstructing the album, Breadin and Myotte had done away with the post-production tape speed tricks which were occasionally employed on the original LP. Somewhere down the line, Breadin will be publishing a retrospective of all of the Metgumbnerbone recordings. For me (Jim), Metgumbnerbone has been a ensemble whose recordings have become fetish objects from the most obtuse regions of Industrial Culture (like those really stupid Vagina Dentata Organ records, which I've obsessively collected). While I am pleased as punch that these recordings are available, my critical objectivity about them is admittedly lacking... I obviously recommened it, but would encourage you to check out the sound samples first.
RealAudio clip: "Track 1"
RealAudio clip: "Track 3"

METH SORES Destroy Life / Clever (self-released) one sided 7" lathe cut 9.98
Debut blast of noisy, filthy, swaggery, feral, gloom punk from this SF trio, who go by the lovely sobriquet Meth Sores, and these guys definitely live up (or down) to the name, spewing a seriously caustic brew of jagged, crumblingly distorted guitars, blown out bass buzz, yowled, reverbed vox buried in the mix, and a barrage of chaotic drum destruction, this raw, primitive sound only further enhanced by the medium, a hand made, one sided lathe-cut 7", which makes the sound that much more lo-fi, and in-the-red, perfectly suited to the group's vibe, but the end result is so awesomely distorted and damaged, it's hard to imagine the band sounding this good, and this utterly trashy and fucked up in the flesh. But check out the sound samples, it's the tracks before being carved into that slab of plastic, and goddamn if it doesn't sound just as good. Think Joy Division crossed with Lubricated Goat, or the Unsane covering Iceage, or something that fantastically noisy and gloriously gloomy, two totally blown out psychedelic noisepunk goth / gloomwave noiserock jams, easily some of the coolest local stuff we've heard in a while. And yeah, SUPER LIMITED too.
MPEG Stream: "Deastroy Life"
MPEG Stream: "Clever"

METH TEETH Everything Went Wrong (Woodsist) lp 14.98

METH, GHOST, AND RAE Wu Massacre (Def Jam) cd 14.98

METHADRONE Retrogression (Subdrone Recordings) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Never reviewed anything by these guys (this guy?) which is a shame, cuz the folks here into dark, industrial heaviness and black drone crunch are way into Methadrone, and also unfortunately, we only have TWO of these, they've been tucked away for years now, but figured a couple folks out there might just love to get their hands on this, especially considering that listening to this now, it bears a striking resemblance to everyone's fave post industrial shoegazers, JESU! Same sort of lumbering crush, but wreathed in hazy washed of buzzing crumbling melody, plenty of downtuned thrum, and keening feedback, but all woven into a thick undulating blissed out dirge. Blackened and beautiful, distorted and dark, this is some gorgeously heavy stuff. Includes a killer Swans cover, and two videos. Comes packaged in a slim dvd style case, with full color cover. Way out of print, got two copies and that is IT.
MPEG Stream: "Emotionless"

METHOD MAN 4:21... The Day After (Def Jam) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "It Is Me"
MPEG Stream: "Somebody Done Fucked Up"
MPEG Stream: "Fall Out"

METHODMAN & REDMAN Blackout 2 (Def Jam) cd 14.98

METI BHUVAH II (The Howl) cd 12.98
Leave it to the Russians to school us on the dark realities of existence with their relentlessly insular take on black metal. Everyone knows and loves Old Wainds and Nav, and now we have Meti Bhuvah, an intense whirlwind of blackened punk fury from the icy North that sounds like it could have easily stepped out of 1986. The abundance of stripped down thrashing punk riffs and guttural, bile spewing vocals, combined with appropriately lo-fi yet powerful recording quality, pretty much sound like the perfect balance of crusty D-Beat punk and Bathory's first record with bursts of pre-crossover American Hardcore a la Siege, COC, and SSD. The drums are generally a medium paced pound, the guitars are like napalm with occasional moments of phased out weirdness from the archaic recording devices, and the bass sounds amazing as it gurgles and distorts its way around the rest of the maelstrom. There isn't much variation to the affair, nor should there be. Instead, Meti Bhuvah stick to the basics, much in the vein of Ildjarn, and never let you forget why you relinquished your soul to the dark side in the first place. The riffs are evil yet catchy as hell and the saturation of pure metallic rage begins to take on a throb of psychedelic proportions if you just let it sink in and take over. In a little more than thirty minutes, Meti Bhuvah takes you on a blackened journey through the Russian wilderness that skews your perception and pummels your eardrums into senselessness. Just the way we like it.
MPEG Stream: "Immersion"
MPEG Stream: "Desire"
MPEG Stream: "Pleasure"
MPEG Stream: "Blood, Flames And Ice"

METI BHUVAH s/t (ASSAVLT) cd 12.98

METIC Debut (Schematic) 12" 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is the reissue of the first Schematic single. I actually got to hear this when I was working for the defunct Pulse Soniq distribution (about time) two years ago, but was burnt on electronica (being forced to buy crappy house singles because the salespeople were too lazy to sell a Sahko title can get you a little jaded). It is a good thing that Schematic reissued this as I would have missed an exceptional piece of dark arpeggiating Skam-ish IDM. Recommended.

METRIC Fantasies (Last Gang) cd 15.98

METRIC Live It Out (Last Gang) cd 14.98
You might've heard of this Canadian band 'cuz of their ties to Broken Social Scene (Haines is a member), but as we've mentioned before they're nothing like that Northern indie rock dynamo (although from the sounds of the 'Scene's latest self-titled album they might be moving more in the direction of Metric - some kind of metric conversion? hahaha!). However, if you're not yet familiar with Metric, imagine a 'modern day' incarnation of punchy crunchy girl fronted pop bands such as Veruca Salt, Elastica and maybe even Transvision Vamp. Frontwoman/keyboardist Emily Haines' saucy, cooed vocals alternate between coy'n'girlish and world-weary'n'womanly. Apart from the very last year electro-clash-y coverart, this is a great follow-up to last year's Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?
MPEG Stream: "Empty"
MPEG Stream: "Patriarch On A Vespa"

METRIC Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? (Everloving) cd 16.98
Metric's frontwoman Ms Emily Haines may be a member of that fine Canadian group Broken Social Scene, but you should by no means assume that her other endeavours are going to sound anything like the Broken Social Scensters. Metric crafts sleek, revved up new wavey pop that brings to mind the mid-90s driving sounds of Elastica, Breeders and Veruca Salt. James Shaw's chunky electric guitars and Joules Scott-Key's snappy drumming propel each song while Haines' woozy keyboards and sassy, cooing vocals charm and swoon -- quite reminiscent of Cardigans' Nina Persson and Throwing Muses' Tanya Donnelly. Energetic and fun.
MPEG Stream: "IOU"
MPEG Stream: "Combat"

METROPOLITAN Side Effects (Crank Automotive) cd 7.98

METROSCHIFTER / SHIPPING NEWS (Initial) split cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Post rock team up...the Shipping News half is live. Unusual packaging note: it's in a jewel case, but the "booklet" is actually a piece of metal, very nice.

METZ s/t (Sub Pop) cd 14.98
We had never even heard of Canadian noise rockers Metz, until this record just showed up, but holy shit is it kicking our asses. Heavy and hooky, weirdly groovy, a bit mathy, a psychedelic grinding, churning, pounding blast of drum heavy crunch, the vocals all but buried in the mix, but still an integral part of the sound. The coolest thing about the record though might have to be the production. Instead of being super blown out, or ultra heavy, the sound is weirdly abstract, murky and muddy one second, blisteringly loud the next, certain parts smoothed out into tranced out hypno-rock, others exploding into prismatic noise pop freakouts. And yet somehow every track here manages to be impossibly catchy. We've read comparisons to Jesus Lizard, which might be the most apt, but while Metz are no doubt influenced by JL, their sound is much murkier, much more minimal, with many of the songs collapsing into weird drum-centric breakdowns, a pounding rhythm surrounded by swirls of effects, or some sinewy drum and bass lope, or something similarly abstract and stripped down, only to explode right back into another bout of melody infused near metallic churn. The label talks about how these guys have one of the loudest drummers ever, and while it's usually pretty impossible to capture that sort of thing on record, the drums here are definitely a HUGE part of the sound. They always are in a trio, but the drums here pretty much define the sound, driving, powerful, not overly bombastic, but recorded in such a way that they crush, that aforementioned weird production applied heavily to the drums, causing them to be muted thumps one second, rib cage rattling booms the next, the guitar and bass treated similarly, thick, gristly buzz on some tracks, detuned murky twang on others.
The single "Wet Blanket" is the band at their most classic noise rock, sounding very much like a band you might have seen play with Jesus Lizard or Don Cabellero, and anyone who digs those kinds of outfits should definitely check these guys out too, but even at their catchiest, like on "Wet Blanket", they still seem to slip into that sort of almost krautrock like mesmer, churning looped cyclical hypno-rock sprawls that transform song into sound, reminding us of other similarly inclined combos like Psychic Paramount or recent aQ Record Of The Week-ers Aluk Todolo, but with Metz, those moments, as tranced out as they may be, invariably lead back to something more rocking and melodic.
Easily our noise rock record of the year. Folks who dug the last album from The Men, another aQ ROTW, but who might be after something a bit more fierce and feral, this might just be your new favorite record.
MPEG Stream: "Headache"
MPEG Stream: "Get Off"
MPEG Stream: "Sad Pricks"
MPEG Stream: "Rats"
MPEG Stream: "Wet Blanket"

METZ s/t (Sub Pop) lp 15.98
NOW ON VINYL!!
We had never even heard of Canadian noise rockers Metz, until this record just showed up, but holy shit is it kicking our asses. Heavy and hooky, weirdly groovy, a bit mathy, a psychedelic grinding, churning, pounding blast of drum heavy crunch, the vocals all but buried in the mix, but still an integral part of the sound. The coolest thing about the record though might have to be the production. Instead of being super blown out, or ultra heavy, the sound is weirdly abstract, murky and muddy one second, blisteringly loud the next, certain parts smoothed out into tranced out hypno-rock, others exploding into prismatic noise pop freakouts. And yet somehow every track here manages to be impossibly catchy. We've read comparisons to Jesus Lizard, which might be the most apt, but while Metz are no doubt influenced by JL, their sound is much murkier, much more minimal, with many of the songs collapsing into weird drum-centric breakdowns, a pounding rhythm surrounded by swirls of effects, or some sinewy drum and bass lope, or something similarly abstract and stripped down, only to explode right back into another bout of melody infused near metallic churn. The label talks about how these guys have one of the loudest drummers ever, and while it's usually pretty impossible to capture that sort of thing on record, the drums here are definitely a HUGE part of the sound. They always are in a trio, but the drums here pretty much define the sound, driving, powerful, not overly bombastic, but recorded in such a way that they crush, that aforementioned weird production applied heavily to the drums, causing them to be muted thumps one second, rib cage rattling booms the next, the guitar and bass treated similarly, thick, gristly buzz on some tracks, detuned murky twang on others.
The single "Wet Blanket" is the band at their most classic noise rock, sounding very much like a band you might have seen play with Jesus Lizard or Don Cabellero, and anyone who digs those kinds of outfits should definitely check these guys out too, but even at their catchiest, like on "Wet Blanket", they still seem to slip into that sort of almost krautrock like mesmer, churning looped cyclical hypno-rock sprawls that transform song into sound, reminding us of other similarly inclined combos like Psychic Paramount or recent aQ Record Of The Week-ers Aluk Todolo, but with Metz, those moments, as tranced out as they may be, invariably lead back to something more rocking and melodic.
Easily our noise rock record of the year. Folks who dug the last album from The Men, another aQ ROTW, but who might be after something a bit more fierce and feral, this might just be your new favorite record.
MPEG Stream: "Headache"
MPEG Stream: "Get Off"
MPEG Stream: "Sad Pricks"
MPEG Stream: "Rats"
MPEG Stream: "Wet Blanket"

METZGER, PAUL Deliverance (Locust) cd 14.98
Could be that it's a bit of an embarrassed, ironic tongue-in-cheek joke to name your solo banjo album Deliverance, but this disc by Minnesota string picker Paul Metzger seems serious enough. And is definitely far, far away from anything resembling "Dueling Banjos"! Inbred backwoods hicks won't relate to the stately and intricate raga-like sounds regally flowing from the nexus of Metzger's deft fingers and 21 banjo strings. This sounds much more East Indian than Appalachian. Stark, gentle, precise, compelling. At times you'll swear there's two players, or multitracking, but it's all Metzger, live and unaccompanied. These three long pieces (one of 'em, the title track, over a half hour) are relaxed, delicate, and entrancing... Avant garde acoustics for late night listenin', which nestles nicely next to discs in the "Wooden Guitar" series also released by the Locust label.
MPEG Stream: "Orans"
MPEG Stream: "Bright Red Stone"

MEV Pieces cd 12.98

MEV & AMM Apogee (Matchless) 2cd 39.00
Apogee marks the first collaboration betweeen the veteran avant-garde improvisers Musica Elettronica Viva (Alvin Curran, Frederic Rzewski, and Richard Teitelbaum) and AMM (Keith Rowe, Eddie Prevost, and John Tilbury). Their collavorative set was recorded during one live session in April, 2004; and as one might imagine from their previous outings, these six men locate the immediacy of sound with various degrees of drama, inactivity, noise, and silence. There's squiggles from Keith Rowe's radio interferring with his guitar pick-ups, wooden thumps from the piano strings being tapped by hand, monopulse bleeps from digital clocks, the glistening drones from bowed cymbals, indeterminant metallic scrapings, and synthesized electronic bursts of scrambled noise. The studied clusters of notes from piano, horns, and strings that dot the Apogee sessions provide the trappings that these six are performing in a particular academic tradition of improvisation, and are the only the things that hamstring their monumentally post-modernist expressionism. Along with the three lengthy improvisations between all six improvisers, AMM and MEV both offer extended 30 minute recordings from live performances to round out this double disc set.
MPEG Stream: MEV & AMM "Apogee Part 1"
MPEG Stream: AMM "AMM - 01.05.04"
MPEG Stream: MEV "MEV - 01.05.04"

MEW And The Glass Handed Kites (Columbia) cd 13.98

MPEG Stream: "Circuitry Of The Wolf"
MPEG Stream: "Chinaberry Tree"
MPEG Stream: "Why Are You Looking Grave"

MEW No More Stories Are Told Today I'm Sorry They Washed Away No More Stories The World Is Grey I'm Tired Let's Wash Away (Columbia) cd 13.98
We've been meaning to review this for a while, the latest from Mew, another band who have gotten short shrift on the aQ list, which is a shame, cuz we dig em a lot, they're pretty hard to describe though, poppy and a little bit commercial, but also way proggy, strangely twisted, catchy, but in an oblique, WAY left of center way, gnarled guitars, skittery rhythms, gorgeous vocals... thankfully, our customer Derek was able to get a better handle on Mew than we've been able to, so take it away Derek:
The title of Mew's latest record's makes it seem a tad bit pretentious and a bit too "precious." The record is both, but still immensely enjoyable. (Their last album, And the Glass Handed Kites, was great too - even more rocking, and with loads of low end!) The sound is a little like late '80s Rush filtered through the Flaming Lips and played by Care Bears in a room made of sheet metal. The Mew guys (from Copenhagen) have come out and said they're a "pop" band, but their notion of what bubblegum pop should be is intricate, proggy, far out and a little spacey -loosed from many of the traditional tropes of pop music. In an alternate universe, they'd be teen idols with hordes of screaming fans and respected 'artists' simultaneously. (Apparently, there is such an alternate universe, and it's called "Scandinavia", where they're hugely popular - sort of like that odd interval of pop history here when the members of Yes were showing up on fluorescent Trapper Keepers.)
Outwardly uncool but accomplished and somewhat unhinged and really pretty fantastic - dig the first track, which is actually two different songs played forward and in reverse!!!

MEW No More Stories Are Told Today I'm Sorry They Washed Away No More Stories The World Is Grey I'm Tired Let's Wash Away (Columbia) 2lp 23.00
We've been meaning to review this for a while, the latest from Mew, another band who have gotten short shrift on the aQ list, which is a shame, cuz we dig em a lot, they're pretty hard to describe though, poppy and a little bit commercial, but also way proggy, strangely twisted, catchy, but in an oblique, WAY left of center way, gnarled guitars, skittery rhythms, gorgeous vocals... thankfully, our customer Derek was able to get a better handle on Mew than we've been able to, so take it away Derek:
The title of Mew's latest record's makes it seem a tad bit pretentious and a bit too "precious." The record is both, but still immensely enjoyable. (Their last album, And the Glass Handed Kites, was great too - even more rocking, and with loads of low end!) The sound is a little like late '80s Rush filtered through the Flaming Lips and played by Care Bears in a room made of sheet metal. The Mew guys (from Copenhagen) have come out and said they're a "pop" band, but their notion of what bubblegum pop should be is intricate, proggy, far out and a little spacey -loosed from many of the traditional tropes of pop music. In an alternate universe, they'd be teen idols with hordes of screaming fans and respected 'artists' simultaneously. (Apparently, there is such an alternate universe, and it's called "Scandinavia", where they're hugely popular - sort of like that odd interval of pop history here when the members of Yes were showing up on fluorescent Trapper Keepers.)
Outwardly uncool but accomplished and somewhat unhinged and really pretty fantastic - dig the first track, which is actually two different songs played forward and in reverse!!!