Cheap Thrills - January 2022
This month: dark retro-synth, chill math rock, acoustic black metal, and more!
I am a man of my word, so I can proudly declare that I have, at the very least, written one installment of Cheap Thrills. In this monthly column, I will be covering "name your price" albums, EPs, and demos that have won my heart. As mentioned in my previous post, I am drawn to these releases and the artists that produce them, not just for the low to non-existent asking prices, but for the ethos behind them. There is something pure and selfless about releasing music this way, and while it does not have any bearing on the quality of said music, it certainly makes supporting those artists feel all the more rewarding. If you find something you enjoy in this month's installment, please consider buying it!
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First we have a hazy transmission from Weaponator, a hi-tech mercenary who strikes from the shadows. Let's bring it up on the main display.
The 2010s brought a glut of retro-synth artists like Perturbator, Carpenter Brut, and countless others who rode the same sawtooth wave right into our collective hearts. That music was (and still is) a lot of fun, but that's not exactly what Weaponator is going for on Soldier of Fortune. Whereas the aforementioned artists were clearly inspired 16-bit video games, John Carpenter's film scores, and big, bold arena rock, Weaponator opts for an understated version of the cyberpunk aesthetic that trades neon for night vision. This is music for infiltrating cybercorporations or tailing a rogue replicant through the back-alleys of some off-world colony. If you like your sci-fi dark and grimy, then you owe it to yourself to check out Weaponator.
One more thing: because this release is not free and, in fact, costs one US dollar, I feel compelled to link this timeless clip from Robocop.
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Up next is Holistic Dreams, the latest release from Swiss sludge/metalcore quintet Kehlvin. This isn't my usual fare these days, but to say that I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement.
At times, Holistic Dreams reminds me of Kowloon Walled City, early Mastodon, and Botch. It is a downright massive album from a band clearly studied in the art of making heavy music. Kehlvin has it all: thick, downtuned guitars with both heft and bite; a rhythm section capable of setting off seismographs in neighboring counties; and surprisingly varied harsh vocals that run the gamut of modern hardcore punk styles. In some ways, Holistic Dreams is a blast from the past, but I know that I'll be keeping this one on steady rotation for the foreseeable future.
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For those who want something a bit more easygoing, Just Neighbors might be the ticket. They play a chilled-out, mostly instrumental style of math rock reminiscent of bands like American Football, full of intertwining guitar arpeggios twinkling away over syncopated bass and drums.
When I say "mostly instrumental", I mean that only a third of the songs feature any vocals at all, and while the singing and lyrics belie those Midwestern emo influences, I thought they fit well. Even the light math rock leanings are handled tastefully — no part of the album ever becomes self-indulgent or messy as a result of technicality. This is very much music for gazing at the stars (or one's own navel), and the band does a great job of capturing that sense of idle wistfulness.
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Finally, we have several releases from a Brazilian musician named Caio Lemos. I would hesitate to pigeonhole his music as black metal, though there is quite a bit of that to be heard on the following albums. While Lemos can certainly tremolo pick, blastbeat, and scream with the best of them, his myriad influences shine through in his music, which is some of the most compelling "black metal" that I've heard in quite a while.
Lemos is most well known as the man behind Kaatayra, and this project was my introduction to his work (big shout out to Myke C-Town's top 30 albums Of 2021). The latest Kaatayra release, Inpariquipê, is a gorgeous, sweeping album that effortlessly switches between black metal played with (mostly) acoustic instruments and folk music that reaches black metal levels of intensity (the closest band that I could think of would be Botanist). Imagine double-bass drums rumbling away beneath hypnotic layers of chants and pitched percussion, or furiously strummed acoustic guitars punctuated by guttural shouts. The album is defined by these unlikely combinations, but it still manages to feel like a cohesive and organic experience rather than a series of gimmicks.
A quick note before moving on: Kaatayra's entire discography is worth exploring, though it should be noted that project is not exclusively dedicated to "folk metal". 2020's Toda História pela Frente and 2019's Mato Mato (a compilation of the first two Kaatayra albums) are more traditional atmospheric black metal releases, complete with slow buildups and yes, some occasional acoustic interludes. The album that is most similar to Inpariquipê would be Só Quem Viu o Relâmpago à Sua Direita Sabe, which is a slightly less polished but still worthwhile exploration of that same sound.
With Lemos' next two projects, we enter more familiar territory. Vauruva is a collaboration with vocalist and lyricist Bruno Augusto Ribeiro, and it is a decidedly rawer and more belligerent affair. Where Inpariquipê was concerned with creating a lush sense of atmosphere, Manso Queimor Dacordado tells its story through a flurry of triumphant riffs that fall somewhere between Volahn and Krallice. There's a lot to take in here, but every moment on this album is skillfully executed.
Sem Propósito is presented with a Side A and a Side B (with no clear track divisions) and both sides are 28 minutes and 12 seconds long. Each begins with mellow, spacey techno beats as electric guitar and drums are gradually introduced into the mix — then it's time for liftoff. When the album is in full swing, I found it to be just as exhilarating as Vauruva's Manso Queimor Dacordado. The main difference here is that Sem Propósito takes its time to get to its destination, but the journey is definitely worth it.
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That's all for this month! Thank you for reading this inaugural installment of Cheap Thrills. I hope that you'll join me again in February for more "name your price" goodies.
Stay safe out there!