Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans has come to a close, and I am in the process of sorting through photos in order to post some cocktail and food related content for all of you. But I first wanted to take a moment to decompress and reflect on the week.
Of course my favorite form of decompression is always music (or reading in a hammock on the beach, but that will have to wait until I’m back in Greece). We’re going to change it up from the full black metal this week in favor of something a little different. I’m feeling a bit strange this week, so I’m going to share some unusual tracks that really bring something a little different to the table. I hope you enjoy!
IHSAHN: HEAVENS BLACK SEA
I once saw a metal band with a saxophone play at Siberia in New Orleans, LA. They had the saxophone hooked up to a distortion pedal, and I learned that day that distorted saxophone sounds like a very large, very angry kazoo. I don’t think this was the intended effect they were going for, but to me it is a prime example of how not to use a saxophone in metal music. Lucky for you, I don’t remember that band’s name and am instead going to present you with a track that manages to blend saxophone and metal in perfect harmony. It still comes off as odd, but in an enjoyable way. But would we expect anything less from Ihsahn?
ENSLAVED: GROUND
Continuing with our theme of odd combinations, if you have ever wondered what Pink Floyd would sound like as a progressive black metal band, look no further. Pink Floyd’s influence on Enslaved has been evident for quite some time, but this track really takes it a step further. If the parts of this track with clean vocals were isolated from the rest, I would honestly think they came straight out of a Pink Floyd song. Many die-hard Enslaved fans don’t have much love for this album, for me it’s a tie between “Vertebrae” and “Below the Lights” for my favorite album by the band. So if you hated it the first time, I hope you’ll give it another listen, it has some truly standout moments.
ARCTURUS: THE CHAOS PATH
Aptly named, “The Chaos Path” is well, chaotic. A circus in hell. Featuring operatic guest vocals by Simen Hestnæs (aka ICS Vortex), who would years later take over for Garm as the main vocalist for the band. Arcturus has always had a theatrical vibe to me, but I feel that it's showcased much more in this track, and it definitely fits today's theme of the strange and unusual.
COBALT: HUNT THE BUFFALO
Well now that we’ve taken a trip to the circus, how about a little step into the wild west? Cobalt was a band I felt questionable about for quite some time, I like to keep my music as free from racism as possible, and their former front man had questionable views. Luckily they gave him the boot and brought in vocalist Charlie Fell to fill the void. The opening track, “Hunt the Buffalo”, starts with an unmistakably western vibe. Making it the perfect choice for my 4th pick of the week.
GIANT SQUID: SNAKEHEAD (CHANNIDAE ERECTUS)
Today we will finish our journey with some of my favorite metal odd-balls and a hypnotizing trip to the Middle East. Giant Squid’s adventurous sound never fails to take you along on a journey. Complete with epic storytelling, Jackie Perez Gratz’ mesmerizing cello work, and Aaron John Gregory unique vocals, this band is truly something special. It was hard to pick one track off this stellar EP, but I felt this one fits the most with our theme. Give the rest a listen if you have a chance!**
That’s it for this week’s installment of #bazilsmetalpicks, check out the hashtag for more music! Let me know some of your favorite odd and unique metal tracks in the comments, and please upvote and follow if you enjoyed this post!