Machinedogs by Hades of Spades

This album is a bit different from what's usually offered on "Super Melodic Tracks" (again). It's much more on the electro house, dubstep, breaks, dance floor, etc side of the electronic music scene and it definitely has a hard edge to it.

The beat is so intense and the bass so wobbly that the melodies shouldn't really matter that much, right? So, any time melodies are given some thought, it's a welcome surprise. Most of the tracks feature some really good short catchy melodic riffs alongside contrasting longer melodic lines. It's like "Phantom of the Opera" on acid. To illustrate this, check out tracks like "Acid In My Head", "The Leaning Tower Of Babel", "Childhood's End", and "Kaleidoscope Of Pain".

In my opinion, the best track in the album is the last one: "Endless Quest". Of course, the others grow on you pretty quickly. A great album which I totally recommend.

Alpha 3 by Suecae Sounds

I wouldn't call this album super melodic per se but I like it enough to review it, albeit briefly (it's only 4 tracks after all). I would describe the album as electronic music with some dark/industrial ambient overtones as well as elements of techno ("Basic Channel" comes to mind but without the trance or minimal element.)

The EP opens with "Angel Strings" which really sets the mood of a certain melancholy. There's some singing that surprisingly doesn't feel out of place at all (the heavy processing certainly helps). Track 2, "Svarta Fält", feels much more mainstream electronic (not a bad thing) with the heavy techno beat. Mood wise, it certainly lift things up. Track 3, "Audemea", brings in a little bit of "real" instrumentation in the form of an electric bluesy guitar, a nice addition to this very electronic and often sterile world. The last track of the EP, "Delta 3", is much more ambient, which must mean that you have reached the end of the journey, a state of inner peace, or maybe a new beginning.

I wish the album were longer. How's that for a compliment?

Cheesecake Hypothesis by Blah Kesto

This release is a mix of ambient, downtempo, and post-rock genres. You also have piano, strings, and acoustic guitar which kinda make it semi-classical or orchestral. The post-rock electric guitar that shows up parsimoniously brings a more than welcome dynamic to the tracks. Since this album is being reviewed here, it of course has a good dose of melodic content.

Some of the tracks are a bit on the melancholic/dark side. I am thinking "Memorare novissima tua.." with its rather pleasing floating electric guitar and "..et in aeternum non peccabis" with its strings lingering over the piano (the drumming is almost out of place). It's probably a Latin thing. "Out of Context" has a little bit of the vinyl crackle/noise thingy which kinda turns me off almost instantly (just kidding as it's done very tastefully and briefly, eheh.) I am an absolute sucker for glockenspiel-type melodies so "Utility Monster" is kind of a highlight for me. "Time Flies" is also an instant fave with its bass set on repeat, completely anchoring the tune. The album ends with "Ex Nihilo", a track featuring an heavily distorted electric guitar and some power drumming, maybe the perfect closing track.

Cheesecake Hypothesis by Blah Kesto is another one of these albums that are on the border of various genres, flying way below the radar. I am hoping this post will help spread the word.