Ah, the best of Varg Vikernes all in one place. Of course, in prison, he is all in one place as well.

This is not to be confused with the 2002 bootleg of the same name. This is the first official attempt to assemble representative tracks from his career pre- 21 year sentence for murder. This legendary band/man/idol/cautionary tale is one of the cornerstones of black metal lore, and Norwegian black metal myth in particular. From the land which produced bands and fans that took the imagery and lyrics of drunken, lookin' for a gimmick English metal masters Venom waaaay too seriously, (to the point of burning down churches, killing each other, killing themselves), Burzum stands above all-on stage, on record, in the penal system, in psychological case studies. But we are here to talk about the music, and in ten years of recording, Vikernes provided as much to talk about as his messiah-complex actions.

"Anthology" features a sampling from all six official Burzum releases. Many of what are now standard black metal riffs and production choices stem from tracks like "Feeble Screams From Forests Unknown," with its other-worldy howl and monolithic drone.

Likewise, "Lost Wisdom" and "Jesus Tod" create a morbid, chilling vibe; the language barrier is no stumbling block to getting the menacing point of these haunted songs. Brutal riffs and berserk vocals also send "Det Som en Gang Var" and "Balferd Baldrs" over the edge. The disc also comes with a bonus video for "Dunkelheit."

Like Manson, it is hard to separate the music of Burzum from Varg's crimes. Yet even without the witchy backstory, "Anthology" is an essential set of tracks that are legendary and influential in more ways than one.

I feel I profound pang of sorrow in writing this review considering the fact that I like to think of myself as someone who can thoroughly enjoy anything that an artist has put out.  However, I have to say that Frank Rothkamm hasn't put out an album that merits even a musical review with Just 3 Organs.  If you're looking to listen to ambient sound, then this album is for you.  However, I can't say anything on this album past that.  I'm not sure what Frank was doing for the five years that it took him to put this album out, but I'd be willing to bet it was under the influence of some heavy narcotics.

If someone needs some ambient sound to place as a soundtrack to their latest horror flick or are looking to sit and pontificate on the meaning of something truly abstract in arrangement, pick up this album, otherwise, don't bother. 

Atmosphere’s Godlovesugly is one of my favorite hip-hop albums ever.  That album, among a few others, got me through some very trying times when my wife and I moved from the homes of our youth in Nebraska to the paradise of California.  Needless to say, it got its share of spins and defined, for me, Atmosphere’s sound.  So when they released You Can’t Believe How Much Fun We’re Having in 2005, I was initially disappointed.  You Can’t Believe.. was more “produced” than I had grown accustomed to and the overall vibe of the album was pleasurable and entertaining, whereas I had become familiar with a more solitude and sorrowful  Atmosphere.  I eventually grew to love the album however and inevitably acknowledged another dimension of the twin city duo.

Now, with their latest album When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, Atmosphere pulls that all too similar identity shift again.  But not only is When Life Gives You Lemons.. different from past Atmosphere albums, its different from any hip-hop album you’ve ever heard. 

Let’s address the elements of the album that are familiar first.  This is a definite return to intimacy and simplistic conveyance.  Slug has always been very adept at putting himself in other people’s shoes as well as letting the listener walk around in his for awhile.  This talent absolutely gleams on When Life Gives You Lemons..  We’re taken from an afternoon with his daughter in the car, to a homeless man in a restaurant and everything in between.  “Your Glass House” is an eerily desolate tale of excess and the reality that we’re all somebody’s hooker is revealed in “The Skinny”.  This album isn’t a typical compilation of barely meaningful songs, but a collection of short stories put to melody.

Past that the familiarity is blown apart, shattered as Atmosphere boosts past it at an alarming speed.  So alarming and so far away that most of the new fans acquired with You Can’t Believe.. will likely be left behind before the album even begins.  When the duo finally slam on the brakes and start marinating in that slowed state, even seasoned Atmosphere fans will have to understand that Slug and Ant have apparently decided that it’s time to elevate this thing called hip-hop.

And the learning curve is steep. 

By the time you’re four seconds into the track “Puppets” you will understand that this is not at all what you expected, regardless of your prior Atmosphere experience.  The intro track “Like the Rest of Us” will make you think that, like many intros, they’re just easing you into the monstrous hook that’s about to flip this album on its ass.  But like I said, once that second track begins and you realize that your dance mix isn’t comin’, you’ll start to question the quality of this album.  Reason being is that no one’s done it like this before.  No rap group or single artist has boiled all the superfluous garnishment off of lyricism and given it to you in such a raw form, no artist from this era anyway.  The current hip-hop age has evolved into overdubs upon overdubs and gargantuan beats.  These will not be found on When Life Gives You Lemons..  What you will find in its stead is a live band providing just enough accompaniment to set the mood.  Other than that, its Slug’s story time.

And all of hip-hop would do well to listen.

I first heard Oh, The Story! live whilst doing live sound for a community college in my area and was blown away.  Most bands that play that venue fall directly under the category of a local band.  However, Oh, The Story! had serious potential within a great vocalist, backup singers that can actually harmonize well, skilled guitarists (in the vocalist and two other guitarists), and well put-together songs that definitely keep an audience hooked.  Immediately after they played, I asked for a copy of their album Good Morning Illumination and I am thoroughly pleased to say that I was impressed even more.

Good Morning Illumination definitely falls under the pop/rock category that usually doesn't merit any note-worthy songs theoretically.  Oh, The Story! is actually able to incorporate some great riffs that show that they have some skill with their instruments and want to be more than just the typical pop/rock band.  Within the album, you've got your typical poppy songs like "I Am!" "All Seven Seas."  However, 90% of the album merits great response as even their poppy songs do.  The album starts off with an ambient electronic sample that leaves their true genre shrouded in mystery.  The song that impressed me the most though was "Sin, Repent, Repeat."  Before this album, I thought the only bands that knew how to incorporate a brass line was Cursive and every ska band and their mother.  This song literally sent chills up my back as I listened through.

Even though Oh, The Story! is a local band in Maryland, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they started popping up all over the United States in a short amount of time.  In fact, I am expecting it after having listened to this album.  I truly believe any rocker could enjoy this album and I maintain that this album is one of the best I've ever heard within their genre. 

Straight out of Ali's hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, Anton Mink are a relatively young outfit but the individual members have plenty of experience. Founding member and bassist Anton Z. began forming the band in that classic way; an advert in a local music publication. In 2004, vocalist and bombshell Chloa Mardis responded and the nucleus of Anton Mink began. After adding a guitarist and drummer, the band began playing locally and, in '06, managed to get this their debut album recorded. A typical road for most bands, to be certain. But this is far from typical music.

Anton are stuck in the past and not stuck in the past. Their tone screams classic rock; from the fuzzy riffs and funky basslines to Chloa's Joplinesque vocals, there's a feel of psychadelic jamband all over these songs. Ample amounts of funk, groove and rhythmatic soul drown these down-homers with the spirit of a possibly better time for rock and roll. There is also an underlying punk influence; it can be heard in their more agressive tracks, numbers like "Unhappy" and opener "Everything". Best songs are the endlessly catchy and moody "Daddy Long Legs" and the redneck anthem "Truck Stop". 

A band with many accomplishments, at this young age, has a future brighter than many others. They've been all over college and local radio, and this s/t album was voted one of the best of 2007 by UC Berkley KALX and the Undiscovered Radio Network. I can attest to the quality of Anton Mink's music; groove-heavy jam-oriented rock, with a considerable amount of smokey back-room sleaze and the nostalgic feel of a garage band brought back from about '67. When you think of all the bands out there attempting to recapture the sounds of yesterday while keeping it modern and relevant, you're not likely to find many who are better at it than Anton Mink. Check 'em out.

Unni Løvlid