SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?

ALBUM OF THE YEAR? Probably

IT’S a beautiful, terrifying journey to the edge of lunacy and beyond – and I very much doubt there’s a better album released this year.

The solo project of Michigan’s Kyle Breidenfield, ‘AS PARTICLES COLLIDE’ today unveil their second album, ‘The Crimson Black.’

Breidenfield began his project in 2018 after bobbing around in other small ventures and bands for several years. He felt the need to branch out, to break the shackles of his musical past and to create something of his own.

And that’s exactly what he’s done.

“It’s my second full-length album,” he explained.

“The Crimson Black’ is a dark, sci-fi journey and what I’d call a ‘hard-hitting’ follow up to the first album, ‘Careful Is What We Wished For.’

“Production on ‘The Crimson Black’ began while I was finishing up the final mixing on ‘Careful Is What We Wished For,’ and to take some of the tediousness out of the mixing I would often jam and riff to have some fun, and the first two tracks for the album were written during this time.

“Also, the writing process for this album from a concept standpoint was very different from the first.  The first record came from a more personal place, while most of ‘The Crimson Black’ is based on influences from the science fiction world.”

The ‘As Particles Collide’ journey began in November 2019 with the release of the five song EP, ‘Fire Fly,’ before following that up with ‘Way Up There’ in early 2021.

The first single from the album, ‘Kill the Comedian,’ was released as a music video on YouTube in February, a mesmerising, borderline disturbing affair which matches the turmoil of the lyrics to perfection.

Lyrics:

“This used to be everything to me

Easy come easy go I guess who the fuck knows

Please tell me this is not how we end

Sitting under stars with me head in my hands

I see that look in your eyes

So this should come as no surprise

Everything I do and everything I’ve done

Such a fucking waste of your time it’s become I look in the mirror

I feel so wrong

Scream out loud for what I’ve done

I replay these days just to feel pain

You can put this one on my head

Just gouge my eyes out before you’re done

Build it up just to break it down again

Please God someone just take me out” *

“The production element on the new album was much more enjoyable this time, while at the same time it also created a much darker feeling in the music compared to the first album,” added Breidenfield.

However, as exceptional a work of art as ‘Kill The Comedian’ may be, it is by no means the highlight of the album.

From the Northside-esque jangle-pop intro to ‘Strap Me to the Sky,’ the majestic ‘Suburban Android,’ or the haunting PiL riff almost masked by the powerhouse drums of ‘A Simple Plan,’ there’s something to behold within every one of its 12 tracks.

But perhaps it’s during ‘In the Basement of a Fallout Shelter’ and ‘StarKiller,’ Breidenfield is at his guttural, full throttle best.

“’In the Basement of a Fallout Shelter’ is about my days as a young punk rock teen in Grand Rapids, Michigan,” he explained.

“There were two clubs there in the mid to late ‘90s, ‘The Basement,’ and ‘The Fallout Shelter.’  They were my first experiences in an indie/punk music scene, and I made all these cool friends that were older than me and it’s some of the best memories I have.

“Neither club even lasted a year. I think they were both opened under the radar and were shut down by the city for code violations and such. ‘In the Basement of a Fallout shelter’ is the only track on the record that comes from a happy place and one of the only tracks that comes from a 100% personal place as well.

“StarKiller is different though and was very heavily influenced by the Dark Phoenix Saga in X-Men. I wrote it from the perspective of what if I was with someone who had this going on and instead of trying to stop it, embrace the darkness, power, and take over the existence together.”

“Both of those tracks are going to have music videos as well. Including ‘Kill the Comedian,’ there will be a total of six music videos for this LP.” 

The album is rusty, razor blade raw, there’s no laboured, style over substance theatricality so prevalent elsewhere, it’s a rare find and deserves to be lauded by us all.

‘The Crimson Black,’ is now available on all streaming platforms.

Connect with ‘AS PARTICLES COLLIDE’ here As Particles Collide

*Lyrics by permission

T W O

FROM our favourite Norfolk/Cambridgeshire indie punk rockers DAS KAPITANS comes the energetic new two track single, ‘That’ll Do Pig?’ and ‘Council Pop.’

Managing to be insanely chaotic, yet rhythmically hypnotic, ‘That’ll Do Pig’ races along at breakneck speed evoking memories of original, London punks, ‘999.’

Somewhat calmer – but only just – and carrying on in a similar vein, ‘Council Pop’ highlights the band’s growing confidence as performers.

Catch Das Kapitans live over the coming weeks at, Bury St Edmunds, Coalville, Stamford and Peterborough.

DAS KAPITANS ONLINE: @Daskapitans | Linktree

T H R E E

‘NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT,’ the debut five-song EP from Vancouver’s ERIK DANIEL, has now been released.

The self-taught musician – guitar, drums, keyboards, and vocals – is clearly inspired and influenced by music from the ‘60s along with some more modern influences.

“It often starts with a riff or a simple melody that gets stuck in my head and won’t leave until I get it down,” he explained of his song writing techniques.

“After that, it’s a matter of building up the support around it and placing it in context. Most of the time, it’s the lyrics that come last. I’ll listen to what I’ve got, and more often than not, the story begins to tell itself by how the music makes me feel. That said, the result is usually at complete odds with the song I originally thought I was writing, but I kind of like it that way.”

The new EP is pleasant enough, but there’s precious little to set it apart from the majority of today’s other, pleasant, inoffensive new releases.

Fortune favours those who aspire to set themselves free from the shackles of mediocrity.

As ever, judge by yourselves and find out more about Erik Daniel here:

Home – Erik Daniel (erikdanielmusic.com)

F O U R

ASGARD RAVEN – the brainchild of Joe Bickerton – have released their second single, ‘Rollercoaster,’ ambitious number with more than a passing nod towards the Gallagher brothers.

Speaking of his latest record, the Hampshire based singer-songwriter said, “I wanted to put across what so many people feel when we’re trying to achieve something difficult, but it gets so hard to find the determination to see it through, and how we can persevere and see it through if we really want it.

“But I’d like to move away from the Oasis references now, my new songs are hopefully a bit less like them and more like me.”

Bickerton grew up in Birmingham but settled in Hampshire at the end of his Army service.

In January 2021 he started recording his debut album as a solo artist, releasing his first single, ‘Until Another Day,’ in September 2021 – a song about the grief, and the fond memories, of a close friend killed in action a few years ago and a stark reminder of how quickly things can change.

ASGARD RAVEN: Asgard Raven | Linktree

F I V E & S I X

THAT JJ LOVEGROVE as well as THE KINTNERS should both have new music out at the same time, and both fall short of their own high standards is nothing short of bewildering.

Having presented us with ‘Things Only the Dark Knows,’ 2021’s ‘Single of the Year,’ JJ Lovegrove + Minus Cube have released ‘Desire Line,’ a five-minute marathon which in all honesty feels far longer when you’re listening to it.

In isolation, it’s not a bad song.

The issue is it sounding like a throwaway from the ‘Things Only the Dark Knows’ sessions, unmistakably the sound of JJ Lovegrove, yet laboured and somewhat predictable. 

But there’s never been a better song to have included the line, “Hi it’s me… I’m not in control I found a desire line and I unravelled…”

__________________________

TEXAS-BASED songwriters, KELLY and KERI KINTNER have been releasing music at such a prodigious rate it was perhaps inevitable they would one day suffer a blip – which is exactly what has happened with the release of, ‘Ramses.’

The song sounds weak, confused, and reminds me of sitting in on a half-hearted, final night of a lengthy tour, soundcheck.

Like JJ Lovegrove’s ‘Desire Line,’ it’s another long song, clocking in at over four minutes, therefore if you listen to both songs back-to-back, you’ll have lost almost ten minutes of your life.

I have, and I’ll be applying for a refund as soon as possible.

Listen to ‘RAMSES’ here: Ramses | The Kintners (bandcamp.com)

__________________________

(Fancy a feature in a future edition of ‘Something For The Weekend?’ Well, get in touch, tell us why, and we’ll see what we can do.)

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