4) Bedsore - Dreaming the Strife for Love
A bedsore is something you get due to inactivity, something you get when you're dying slowly in a hospital bed on rough, rigid sheets. I can't think of a less appropriate band name for this group of young men. They are obviously on a feverishly restless journey of discovery for what might be their ultimate vision of music and they've written my THIRD cosmic death metal album this year.
If I were to describe this album in the meanest way possible I would say, "this is what Opeth have been trying to accomplish in their late career but can never quite execute." There are heavy influences of the 70's progressive rock Opeth loves so much providing funky synth passages, but also plenty of jazz elements as well. This weird tapestry of influences is woven together in surprisingly cohesive tracks which occasionally wander but always deliver a cathartic climax. This is the element missing from the last few Opeth releases, the PURPOSE of the song.
But in saying that I think it's also hopeless for me to recommend an album like this unless you're specifically the guy or gal who's been disappointed by later Opeth. Death metal fans are largely going to see this as a snoozefest and progressive fans are going to wonder why they scream and wail over their moogs instead of doing jazz standards. But, how often do I have to say it. When a band breaks the rules, they're invited to my list. I can't count the number of rules broken on this record, all while creating a paradoxical nostalgia that feels like home to me.
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