Summary Judgments, Volume 7

Are These Even Reviews?

Here's another round of summary judgments, where I make a snap judgment about something before I feel like I really understand it. As always, under the title I list how much of the record I listened to.

Katatonia: Dethroned & Uncrowned (2013)
the whole album, once

I caught about half of Katatonia's show when they played with Opeth, but beyond that, I've never listened to them. Having never heard their most recent album, I thought I would have a unique perspective on the acoustic version of it. But mostly, I just thought it was OK, and not that interesting.




Slussenanalys: Livets spindlar (2013)
both songs

So maybe I'm not starting to understand noise rock. Slussenanalys sounds like 80's hard rock just slightly askew. That actually looks awesome on paper, but I didn't get much out of the music.



Marcato: Artifact (2013)
2 out of 6 songs

Marcato sound like they're at least aware of Isis, but mostly they were weaned on Stone Sour and Linkin Park, and want to make ballads in a style somewhere between those two. For sentimental teens who might be writing secret poetry.



Black Magician: The Pursuivant EP (2013)
the whole thing, many times

It took me a while to figure out why this one wasn't clicking with me. The Pursuivant begins like Cathedral, who aren't my favorite doom band, and then eventually becomes a fun jam session for the guys in Black Magician. Fun for them, that is.



The Lurking Corpses: 23 Tales of Terror (2003)
the whole thing, once

The Lurking Corpses sound basically like The Misfits if they were more metal, but lesser songwriters. It's not too bad, actually.



HHR