MOMM (11)

The new & the retro for 2022:

• Funeral Mist: Deiform. I hesitated to get this one because its predecessor (Hekatomb) was an average outing. This might be due to the fact that Mortuus is now a permanent member of Marduk. But this one just burns you in the face despite the title track being a slow burner. Funeral Mist had been a solo act since 2009's Maranatha. Things took a little down turn since Maranatha itself as the rest of the members departed the band. Hekatomb was a little introverted with soundscapes threatening to take over but this latest album was a re-boot of sort. Ironically, Lars Brodesson, Marduk's ex-drummer, picked things up this time round for some in-your-face black metal drumming, quite absent from his two previous outings with FM. I just feel that the black metal acts of late are trying too hard to carve a niche because once they go a little astray from the genre, they sound pop-ish; an alternative branch of the genre that aims for mass appeal. Listen to Enslaved & you would understand. Deiform gets my vote for 2021's AOTY for keeping things true to form.
• Johnny Hates Jazz - The Best Of. My 80s pop infatuation continues. Simple reason; songs back then had strong, memorable melodies. I Don't Want to be a Hero was my rebel anthem before many other rock songs took over. Shattered Dreams & Turn Back The Clock featured prominently on the radio especially when CLASS 95FM was helmed by DJs Joe & Jessica. I used to skip school & hang out at World Trade Center (now Harbour Front). There was this amphitheater there near the waterfront where bands used to play on weekends. During weekdays, the speaker used to air CLASS 95FM to the public. I used to slurp Slurpee slowly listening to music & looking at the harbour waters. Simple pleasure.