Metal Briefs: Short Briefs of 2013

Three by Two

When all you have is two songs to go on, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense writing 600 words. Here collected are three 2013 releases with two songs each.

Wreck and Reference: No Content
3.5 out of 5 stars

No Content continues Wreck and Reference's weird trek into self-destructive industrial music. I say industrial because it uses the same kinds of sounds, but it doesn't sound like any kind of industrial songwriting I've ever heard, especially not in percussion. The madman vocals may be the most compelling thing about this release. Sadly, it sounds less like a stopgap release and more like an unfinished larger work. They keep gearing up for something, and then it just, ends. We need to hear the rest of this!




Chains: Dancing with My Demons
4 out of 5 stars

With the addition of Chains, combining doom metal and deathrock may officially be called a trend. I recommend you check this out before you get tired of the style. The bassline is the engine driving each song, while guitars and vocals are in the deathrock school. Side B is the much more infectious of these lo-fi songs, so why don't you "Join the Sabbath" with me?



Duncan Evans: Bird of Prey
1.5 out of 5 stars

A Forest of Stars vocalist/guitarist Henry Hyde Bronsdon has a solo project where he goes by the name Duncan Evans. This is country music in a very pure and earnest sense, but something about it--maybe his accent--makes it sound a little bit ridiculous. "A little bit ridiculous" and "completely earnest" are not a good combination. It's repetitive as well, and when you can say that about a 9 minute release it doesn't bode well for a possible full-length.