Episode 90

Ooooh boy, received a doozy of a surprise this week with the self released ten inch by London/Brussels shadow dwellers, Hunter's Palace. A few weeks had gone by after the band had solicited a promo of their debut, so unwrapping the record last week was met with head scratching after trying to read the words on the front of it. Out slipped the promo sheet with a write up that muddied things even further. Apparently the band's name was translated to Maltese for the cover, then the sheet went on to inform me of strange laws in Malta. No description of the band, well, outside of "formed in 2003, disbanded in 2014". Well, proof's in the puddin', so they say. Side A,"Tal-Metall", begins with a disorienting guitar line that reminded me of later period Don Caballero, before the song eventually erupts into well-timed guitar howls and smoked out riffs. Meanwhile, the vocalist is singing in a language I cannot place. Maltese? Eventually it all settles down, though some great tension is created by some whirling electronics and eerie guitars. Soon the riffs are back and the vocals grow urgent this time, yet still indiscernible. The song fades out and soon it's over. What just happened there? No easy reference points here so I bring the needle back to the beginning. Again. And again. I guess it sounds a bit like a thuggish offshoot of one of the many bands from Metz, France (think of a more monlothic Anals or A.H. Kraken...maybe). That's the best I got. The flip is a lot more chaotic but very controlled and calculated. More yelping in Maltese coupled with a beefy wall of feedbacking guitars, droning keyboards and cavernous guitars. Intense listening to say the least. Easily one of my favorite releases so far this year, and it blindsided me, as so many great records do. I highly recommend you grab this one direct from the source because it doesn't seem like too many shops or distros will be picking up on this anytime soon.

Also just watched this video for Tal-Metall, which hasn't really cleared much up.
*note: not for the squeamish




The Sandwitches "Over The Moon" Mrs. Jones Cookies LP (Empty Cellar) 2011
Terrorbird "We Were Monsters" Human Culture LP (Night People) 2011
Circuit Des Yeux "Barrel Down" s/t 7" (De Stijl) 2011
The Fresh & Onlys "Keep Telling Everyone Lies" Secret Walls 12" (Sacred Bones) *due April 26
Girls Names "Lawrence" Dead To Me LP (Captured Tracks) 2011
Vacant Lots "Cadillac" s/t 7" (Mexican Summer) 2011
True Widow "Skull Eyes" As High As The Highest Heavens And From The Center To The Circumference Of The Earth LP (Kemado) 2011
Broken Water "Heartstrings" Peripheral Star 12" (Perennial) 2011
Jerusalem & The Starbaskets "Brighter The Light" DOST LP (De Stijl) 2011 *due May 7
Jeans Wilder "Don't Want To Live Forever" Nice Trash LP (Atelier Ciseaux/La Station Radar) 2011
Dirty Beaches "A Hundred Highways" Badlands LP (Zoo Music) 2011
Krang "Spirit Animal" s/t 7" (Mammoth Cave Recording Co.) 2011
Hunter's Palace "Tal-Metall" Il Palazz-Tal Kaccatur 10" (self released) 2011
Norman Neubauer "Background" unreleased mp3, 2011
Hobo Cubes "There Are No Corners In This Dimension" Perceptive Pulses CS (Orange Milk) 2011
Giant Claw "Big Heat" Midnight Murder CS (Orange Milk) 2011

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