Persona

Thrash metal pioneers and masters of the craft Exodus take time off from their 7-year studio break to deliver a politically charged, adrenaline steeped, hour long sonic boot to the face of the competition to shake up the 2020s…

The Japan and Porcupine Tree keyboardist Richard Barbieri releases his most sonically expansive work to date, with a brand new album entitled Planets + Persona. It is the third Barbieri solo album, but the first to feature such a wide pallet of instrumentation. Vintage analogue synthesisers combine with acoustic performances and jazz elements. Twisted voices are always present, though not in a language we can recognise. Barbieri skilfully utilises the talents of a pan-European core of musicians to produce an album that marries synthesised sounds with organic instrumentation to conjure up vivid, colourful and allusive soundscapes. It’s a skilful commingling of texture and tone, mood and musicality.

Rival Consoles' album Persona, inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film of the same name, aims to explore the difference between personal perceptions of the self and how one is viewed by others. Significantly less danceable than some of the artist's other albums, the album simultaneously feels more introverted and more expansive. Ryan Lee West's tracks blend acoustic and electronic instrumentation as well as a plethora of effects, with crisp snare drums galloping alongside wavy synth chords which vividly ebb and flow, and melodies which sound live rather than programmed. West particularly loves to start a song quietly and build up from there, maintaining a sense of progression and suspense…

Exodus have officially returned with their first new album in seven years, “Persona Non Grata.” The record, which will be available tomorrow (November 19), offers a full-on thrash attack that is sure to satisfy fans old and new. The effort is chock-full of riffy and shredding guitar work mixed with the kind of blistering vocals one would expect from the band. As one navigates the album, it is clear to see that the group have stayed true to the sound that made them a household name in the Bay Area. All in all, “Persona Non Grata” is a solid record from a band that has been killing it for four decades. There are some parts where the fat could have been trimmed a little bit to make for a more concise piece of work, but other than that it is exactly what fans have been clamoring for, a pure display of classic thrash metal.

Parisian meta-post-rock outfit LOST IN KIEV finally return with their long-awaited 3rd album and most astounding work to date, Persona.

The concept that led to The Oberlin Concertos was initially hatched in a conversation between pianist and educator Xak Bjerken and a former student, Oberlin Conservatory composition professor Jesse Jones. It was Jones who suggested writing a chamber concerto to be premiered by his friend and mentor, and it was Bjerken-a former longtime member of the Los Angeles Piano Quartet and a veteran soloist with the L.A. Philharmonic and other ensembles-who was immediately hooked. Their plan gave rise to another commission-for the chair of Oberlin's Composition Department, Grammy Award-winner Stephen Hartke-and then another, for fellow composition faculty member Elizabeth Ogonek. The resulting works were recorded in three sessions over a two-year span, with Bjerken joining forces with Oberlin's Contemporary Music Ensemble and conductor Timothy Weiss in the conservatory's Clonick Hall studio, in addition to presenting the world- premiere performance of each piece on campus.

Face To Face - Laugh Now, Laugh Later (2011) {Antagonist Records PLY-468234 Germany 2 Bonus Tracks}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 328 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 104 Mb
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© 2011 Antagonist Records / People Like You Records | PLY-468234
Rock / Punk Rock / Alternative Rock / Punk Revival / New Wave / Skatepunk / Punk Pop

Outstanding, overlooked relase from Face To Face, worthy of their legacy. Far superior to the massive letdown that was/is Three Chords And A Half Truth. "Staring Back" and "Persona Non Grata" are bonus tracks exclusive to the German release. It's interesting to look back and think about the bands that influenced your musical tastes. I grew up on a steady diet of everything from Guns N' Roses to Run DMC to Black Flag. Eventually I started to lean towards the "grunge" movement of the early '90s, and from the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney and plethora of others, expanded to punk rock. Bad Religion, Rancid and NOFX were staples of the time, but I've always felt that Face to Face was the band that I not only "discovered" on my own, but ultimately most identified with. I picked up a copy of Big Choice after reading about in a magazine, and was instantly hooked. My fandom undoubtedly peaked during the release of their self-titled LP, which to this day I consider to be the soundtrack of my high school years.