Tantrum of the Muse – The Heart Is A Two-Headed Sperm (1998/2010)

Artist: Tantrum of the Muse
Album: The Heart Is A Two-Headed Sperm
Year: 1998 (remaster re-release in 2010)
Label: Takehold Records (remaster self-released)
Genre: Metal Weirdness

Sorry for the long absence. Ever since my move I’ve had very spotty internet and uploading and downloading takes forever. That hasn’t changed, so I can’t guarantee any uptick in updates for right now, but at least I can provide one of the most stellar bandcamp links ever.

Tantrum of the Muse was a short-lived avant-metal act from Lancaster, PA who released two albums on the nationally distributed label Takehold Records. While I can’t think of any band that they particularly sound LIKE, I could see them appealing to fans who like quirky metal/rock along the lines of System of a Down or Mr. Bungle. Tantrum is often fiercer–while mixing in numerous sound clips from old movies and records to kick off tracks.

I’ve been a fan for quite some time, and this album is one of my favorite go-to albums. Nary a mix-tape gets made by me without including a song off of this. This would have been one of the first albums I posted on this blog except they were charging for the Bandcamp download. Well, just the other day they made it a free download. So my blog has had one major hole filled. Thank you Stephen!

(Click above icon for bandcamp download page.)
(And while you’re there, check out their second cd, too, which I’ll probably feature here later.)

 

Diablo Swing Orchestra – The Butcher’s Ballroom (2006)

Artist: Diablo Swing Orchestra
Album: The Butcher’s Ballroom
Year: 2006
Label: Gillioutine Grooves
Genre: Gypsy Metal with hints of opera, jazz, and avant-garde
RIYL: Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Unexpect, Ego Plum
Essential Tracks: Heroines, Poetic Pitbull Revolutions

Bands that dabble in a mish-mash of genres usually turn me off–just because you toss your favorite foods into a blender and hit “on” doesn’t mean you’ll come up with anything palpable. But Diablo Swing Orchestra manages to do just that with their music and have it come out a smashing success. Luckily for us, they decided to put the album up on Jamendo for free download, even though the CD from Gillioutine Grooves is still in print. No complaints from me–this is a fabulous album. Soaring female operatic vocals counterpoint the crunchy metal guitars and are buoyed by the circus dance sounds that pepper the tracks.

Highly, highly recommended.

(Click icon for Jamendo download page)