In Ears - February & March 2016

In Ears will be a regular series of music filter, which is my daily bread. Every month I have/want to cover dozens of CD's including new albums, but also numerous albums from recent and distant past. Hope you will enjoy.

Oceans of Slumber - Winter
Do you have a feeling for a female voice, but you demand variety? Oceans Of Slumber will give you both Alanis Morissette sensitive rock moments, but also double bass drums death massive impact. Give it few listens, until it "clicks". Obligatory for fans of System Divide or Distorted from Israel.

La-Ventura - White Crow
During my gothic teenage era, I was acquiring absolutely everything, which had a female singer in it. There were tons of bands which were not worth it and plenty which broaden my horizons and found the term "gothic" absolutely vague. One of the greatest discoveries from those days was a debut album from dutch La-Ventura. I don't know why I though those guys were from South America. Nevermind, the crucial message is, their second album White Crow from 2013 is honest follow-up to their incredible 2007 debut A New Beginning.

Greenleaf - Rise Above the Meadow

Do you often sound like those old bastards saying: "True hard rock is gone and only the good stuff was created five centuries ago in the days of Led Zeppelin!" Well, if you are aware about the latest retro psychedelic (hard) rock wave including Blues Pills, Orchid, Scorpion Child and plenty more you know the music business is not so dead, as you might have thought. Well, quite the opposite and Sweden-based Greenleaf belong the absolute top league. Album by album they convince me about their qualities and bring me to my teenage days, where I could just place audio cassette and enjoy every note...

Surprise note: On my flight from Paris, after an intensive weekend in Amsterdam, I listened to the Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon for the first time in my life. I was saving to listen to this legendary masterpiece for years, however .............................................kill me............. ....................absolutely no "click". However, it's just a matter of time...

What else: Once in a while return to old time hits of Elvis and Karel Gott ;D. Electric Wizard, new Diamond Head, Hypno5e, Intronaut, Messenger, Witchcraft, The Contortionist - no "click", Anvil get my respect just because I spoke to inspirational uncle Lips, Cattle Decapitation - might check for two songs at Brutal Assault, Trioscapes - Great deal of respect but still too much on me, same Haken or Neurosis, Killswitch Engage, Obscura - yeah, but..., Magnum - c'mon, Sabaton ;D,  

Check Perturbator and Steven Wilson is a must.

Read magazines!!! and while you read, check albums, which you haven't listened yet/much of legends as AC/DC, Anthrax, Dream Theater, Jefferson Airplane and especially Phil Collins...