ambient / dark folk / cinematic

So, if the first three tracks of a four track EP already remind me of acts like Nick Cave, Penitent, Raison d'ètre, Aphex Twin and Biosphere, I guess it's alright to call this a pretty damn varied release. And then comes 'Synchronism', a goosebumps inducing dark pop anthem with vocals by Raya. In all, '...Unfolds' indicates a more than welcome return for a highly exciting ambient project. Recommended? Dûh!

alternative rock / punk / grunge

thrash metal

dark ambient / drone

Signora Ward Records

drone / ambient / soundtrack

drone / ambient

bandcamp

industrial / dark ambient / noise

HGM Music

drone / dark ambient

grunge / noise rock / alternative rock

Is it a compliment if you tell a band that they do not sound at all like the place where they come from? It definitely might be an insult to a whole region if one doesn’t really know the  “scene” one is talking about. Nevertheless it probably also depends a lot on the people you are talking to. In case of Norwegian-Finnish duo “Barren Womb” you could say they do not sound as if they were from Trondheim, Norway. If you associate that with music somewhere between Motorpsycho and black metal. However, if you think about the freedom to do whatever you want associated with the vastness of the country, Barren Womb might sound exactly like Trondheim. 

Their songs change their identity quite often, they are hardcore, punk, noise, a bit mathy but they are definitely clearly not caged into a corset intended to limit the airflow within one’s body and mind: the drummer and guitar player are definitely free thinkers. Being able to play some funky stuff like “Hairy Palms” with its mix of indie dance-guitar licks somewhere Parliament and Franz Ferdinand and rock’n’roll drumming in the style of the Black Crowes needs courage and good execution.  One band that comes to mind when listening to “Lizard Lounge” is definitely Torche with their knack for writing catchy yet heavy tunes. 

Their songwriting is really awesome because they never lengthen their songs into the unnecessary. Every song is as long as it needs to be, the whole album is only 36 minutes long, even though it comprises ten songs. “Trimming the fat”, they called it. And yet those songs are chunky and addictive. Especially as they all represent a different “genre”, remember the free thinking approach. If you then follow the Timo and Tony through their tracklist, you notice that they come up with a bluesy ditty right called “Crop Circle Jerk” right after funky “Hairy Palms”. Courage! 

The author is surprised now how often the record has been spinning in a row, but that is also a good sign how immensely enjoyable the whole affair is. Take “Nerve Salad” for example – a nice mathy bit of stoner rock. Or “Hydroponic Youth” with is slowly build-up that is able to keep the tension despite a slower tempo.  

With “Lizard Lounge” you get an awesome record for the BBQ in the summer when you want to entertain your guests with an eclectic mix of songs and ideas that never get bothersome but keep their inner entertainment level high. And then one of their guests will ask “Hey, those guys are from Cali, right?” 


Thorsten

progressive / alternative / metal

ometimes records can surprise you with every twist and turn they take. The third full-length by London-based quartet Elephant Tree is one of these. Just when you thought, you had them figured out they come up with yet another direction. The one constant on the album is probably the soundscape that is being dominated by a distorted, slightly fuzzy guitar. A kind of noise-rock production that seemingly is the red thread throughout the songs and that shares some relation to the Melvins.

Nevertheless this record is more than a sound-a-like. It jumps a bit between the genres which makes it more interesting. A hike through selected songs will probably clarify the eclectic nature of the album:
After the pumping, vibrating intro “Wake. Repeat” the first full song “Sails” is one of these songs that can stick to the back of your mind for week because the band is able to weave Pink Floyd’ish vocal lines into a song that is dancing on the razor between noise and post-metal with a strong nod to orchestral grunge when the synth spaces kick in at half-time. 
The fourth track “Exit the Soul” is only straightforward at first glance with its spiraling guitar lines in the background and the warm bass and drums at the center. But then the song slows down more and more until one might think that it is fading out, before taking a turn to become a stoner beast with some heavy-sparkling pearls and dots painting it a different shade of crimson. 
“The Fall Chorus” then surprisingly acts as an acoustic miniature with vocals placed right between chants in old Oxfordian halls and some Simon & Garfunkel pop-appeal – by the way, that is a strong bond between many of these songs: They can all keep your mind and “oral memory” blocked for days. It is the necessary pause for breath in the middle of the record. 
“Bird” then uses the chant-structure just to lead over into a grunge song for the 21st century. This song might be best described with a modern-day version of Stone Temple Pilots or Candlebox with an underlying melancholy and the vocals joyfully changing pace and style in between.

One could do this song by song analysis for all songs but by now it should be clear that “Habits” doesn’t hide its roots and influences. Nevertheless, the tracks never bow too low in front of the predecessors, so that they would become stagnant emulations; no they are very self-reliant and independent, very self-aware and proud. Something very valuable for a band that loves to play with the audience’s expectations and to surprise them more than once.


Thorsten

progressive / alternative / metal

There are bands who like singing about literature – Maximo Park; there are bands who like storytelling – Mastodon; and there are bands who create complete worlds and setting for their stories which then again is the basis for their music – Coheed and Cambria; or Huntsmen from Chicago. The difference between the latter two categories is simple: Storytelling often goes for one record only – you may also compare Bowie’s different records each based on one individual plotline – be it Ziggy or be it Nathan. Creating whole settings, characters, plot lines and everything that transcend one record and encompass all that the band tries to release is a very difficult task (especially if you are developing the story yourself and not using a story out there). Nevertheless, Huntsmen seem to stand the test of musical relevance and literary conciseness and inner-plot-logic. 

The story they set out to bring to the world is about a post-apocalyptic, post-war wasteland (whose precise location is yet not given) where the audience follows the former soldier who must find her way through barren landscape after a failed mission and who is joined on that odyssey by a man who first (among others) rescued her from a bunch of “pirates”. On that journey they find not only some obstacles and solutions but also….. 

Oh this already got you? Then go on and listen to the album which musically is as diverse as one could imagine a progressive alternative metal to be. Progressive because the now-quintet (after former help Aimee Bueno is now a full-time member providing the voice for the soldier. Alternative because the band definitely has a knack for writing very well-tuned melodies, but never frightening with proggish scales and interludes, licks or solos. They deliver 13 songs in 78 minutes (spread out across two records) and very often the basis of that is a good balance between 90s-style, grunge-influenced alternative metal (a bit similar to Intronaut but without the jazz elements) and well-interwoven metal riffs that give the sound enough depth with their small details (a short drum blast, a swirling synth in the background, an upscaling guitar element). The most remarkable thing are the vocals, shared by Bueno and Chris Kang, which turn these duets into real conversations that can leave you spellbound. 


Thorsten

post metal / alternative

Eindhoven has always been one of the premier rock cities in all of Belgium and the Netherlands, known for some very fine festivals (Sound of Rebellion, Dynamo and others) and also birthplace of some awesome bands like The Devil’s Blood. For a few years, Eindhoven-based trio An Evening with Knives has been stirring some uproar in the scene due to their status as an undeniable live band. However, what does an undeniable live band need? Exactly undeniable rock songs to perform! And An Evening… has just put out another bunch of really classy tunes with their second full-length out on Argonauta Records (CD) and Lighttown Fidelity (vinyl). This follow-up to 2018’s “Serrated” features seven songs in 41 minutes and is another example of the cross-over and genre-bending-attitude of a lot of Dutch and Belgian bands, for its two feet are equally firmly set in good, melodious 90s alternative metal and rough modern Post-metal.

The trio of Ivo Junkers (drums and samples), Marco Gelissen (guitar and vocals) and Peer van Grunsven (bass and backings) are able to incorporate some post-rock elements like minute crescendos and still maintain a strong, sometimes sludgey sound which in itself is seemingly inspired by some alternative rock – one might remember the harsh grunge version that Silverchair performed on their first two records or also Louisiana’s Thou before they turned all-in on black metal or fellow-Louisiana-boys Down. The way that Eindhoven’s new luminaries are able to slow down the tempo or push it up a notch or two without losing the melody is very promising. One can be drawn into this sound very quickly.

Another strong feature are Marco’s vocals that are clear but never poppy. One example are the lyrics in “Endless Nights”, one of the two singles, where the difference between the last line of the first stanza is merely “Endless Nights” vs “End this night” - but if you really listen closely, you can hear Marco accentuating the difference.

An all-round great record. Not Album of the Year material (as it is one more post-metal record) but this record can and will be appreciated by everybody when you put it on during your regular Saturday evening get-together. A few people will certainly come up to you and ask for the name of that “Awesome stuff you have on there!” and you can simply say “Well, we’re just having An Evening with Knives!”


​Thorsten

folk / rock / country / alternative

This album has been poking me in the elbow for a few days now. And I mean that quite literally. It fell off the pile of albums to be reviewed and landed right next to me. There it has been laying for a while until I got tired of the corners of the digipac poking me. So, perhaps now is a good time to finally check this out and see if I should give the album a spot on my shelves. One look at the biography certainly raises the bar. I see people like Rudy Trouvé, Nicolas Rombouts (ex-Dez Mona) and Stef Kamil Carlens (ex-dEUS, Zita Swoon)... Those are big names to throw around. But let's face it, Matt Watts is not a newcomer, on the very contrary.

Watts recorded his first album at the age of fifteen, moved from Montana (US) to Antwerp (BE) four years later, got into contact with the Belgian alternative scene and became a member of several rock, noise and punk bands. 'Queens' is produced by Stef Kamil Carlens and Nicolas Rombouts and features (former) members of acclaimed Belgian bands such as Moondog Jr, Zita Swoon, Eriksson Delcroix, Dez Mona, Guido Belcanto, and King Dick. And yes, all of that is audible on this album.

From the first notes of 'Sha La La Jim' you'll realize that you're dealing with a talented singer-songwriter, backed by a group of professional buddies. Americana, rock & roll, country and folk are being mixed into outstanding songs, often emotional, sometimes gritty and dark. A whole bunch of names comes to mind, including South San Gabriel, Morphine, Ween, dEUS and, in 'Smoke All Around My Brain', even Elvis, embodied by the 'Suspicious Minds' like guitar licks.

The most gutsy tune on this album is the cover of Michael Jackson's 'Billy Jean'. Slow, almost eerie, almost suited to appear in a David Lynch movie. Yet, my personal favorite is 'Lay Your Ears', where the entire band manages to bring out the best in themselves, resulting in a immersive piece of alternative americana rock. Or how about the uplifting country tune 'There I Have Come For You'. Odd but excellent, like most of this album.

But apparently there is also some place for electronics. 'Penniless Carpenters' comes up with rhythmic sequencers guiding a mid-tempo country rock song. For a number of reasons this is one my favorites here. Coming to think of it, pretty much nothing on this album is what you'd call "my kind of music" but I truly enjoy most of it. I expect some of these tunes to pop-up in StuBru's 'De Afrekening' (if that still exists). Check it out. This is pretty darn cool.


​Serge

alternative / black metal

Individuality is something that the 21st century cherishes a lot, maybe even more than anything else. In some sense it might be debatable, but this is neither the point nor the time. New Dutch black metal outfit do not think of the musicians as individuals in the context of their band but recognize the band as a single entity, you can easily see that when looking at the official band photos with all three members (note the non-committing initials M.T., T.D. and I.V. instead of names): All members are visible but either the photo is such out of focus that one can hardly recognize them or they bend over or the distance between camera and band is so great that the faces are recognizable but not identifiable. Thus, one must concentrate on the album itself. And that is easy, in some way.

If you like bands like GOLD or Turia or Karyn Crisis, then this band might be right up your alley. The tracks with no clearly obvious endings or beginnings form basically one long track (again – recognize the lack of individuality?) Nevertheless, one should now not feel inclined to call this record some kind of event or ritual, it is not. It is a record full of interesting little details, small nooks and crooks in each moment, be it a nice minor-key piano somewhere in the background, spherical ambient passages, vocal samples, little distortions in otherwise pretty clean guitar lines. 

The band is channeling a lot of influences, some obvious, some not. The “tracks” flow somewhere between blackened alternative metal, progressive rock and jazzy hard rock. They do not shy away from 70s-like guitar solos (T.D.s can do that easily) or unusual drum patterns (delivered by M.T.), but one band member should be noted: I.V. (is that a pun on ivy, that clingy plant?) – the female singer of Ainsoph is performing on a fairy like level – she never breaks out and has total control of her voice which is one of the band’s biggest standout trademarks as she doesn’t resort to harsh screaming but gives the harsh and complex metal tracks some quality that a band with a male singer simply cannot have. 

This reviewer asks himself if she is aware that her individual effort stands out so much in defining the band and its signature sound. She is the individual in the band’s universe, its unique selling point and thus she shapes Ainsoph’s identity strongly creating a band that has something very individual going on, something highly individual and in that sense this debut is music for the 21st century.


Thorsten

sludge metal

“Demonic Black Magick for Tortured Souls.” That’s one of the first sentences you read when coming across Seventh Circle’s FB-account. Interestingly this record has less death metal than you would assume after such a proclamation and after a record title referring to Dante’s Seven Circles of Hell. The record is a solid pastiche of stoner-influenced sludge metal with a share of death metal miniatures. The duo from California really hits some weak spots in all of those people who like their death metal a bit more on the hard rock-side with these three tracks.
The sound is gritty and heavy and the breakdowns are not too hardcore-ish so that those 13 minutes are over quicker than you wanted. Most interesting are those moments when they take some time to establish the mood of a song instead of just racing into it. The only thing that might be bothersome is the mixing because although of course a band like this should be produced raw and dirty but the vocals are too far in the background. 

black metal

Invictus Productions

Iron Bonehead Productions

Belgium’s black metal band Possession brought a totally new concept to split EPs at the end of November by releasing two different splits with two different bands but with one unifying theme. “Passio Christi Part I / Witch’s Spell” is their split with Spite from the US and “Passio Christi Part II / Necrophagus Abandon” is the one with Venefixion from France. The second part of each record’s title is one of the track of Possession split partner. 
Interesting about these two separate releases on two different labels with bands spanning five countries is that it all sounds very organic and as if this was meant to be. But the logistics and planning for this thing must have been arduous. 
However, when playing both records in a row, you do not have the feeling of a loss of quality or a change in sound and vision. The releases each start with a very atmospheric intro by Possession with the second one even played on a church organ and incorporates carillon bells. Very, very good. The Belgians pursue their idea of a raw punkish sound and attitude, a high-octane version of black metal. “Stabat Mater”, the last of their six tracks total, ends in a whirlwind of drums and riffs that has mantra-qualities just before their final contribution to this duo split turns the song into an instant classic as they take up the intro from “Passio Christi Part I” again using a choir to make their songs one big entity. 
The other two bands are not only bystanders but take part immensely with each giving their respective releases a different element. Spite, for example, delivers the cover song that each good split should have doing Manitú’s “Cruel Creator” in their own way, very lo-fi and very chilling.  Venefixion, on the other hand, do the best thing to do after a song as good as “Stabat Mater” - they do their own piano-intro (!) and then all hell breaks loose, no barriers holding back, no hostages taken, no one left standing in their way – straightforward black metal!
As a final say, one has only very seldom heard such a coherent, thoughtful conceived combination of split series as this one!

psychedelic / stoner / rock

The California-based trio is set to release their next album on Valentine’s day next year and “8hr Parking” is the first single off of that record which will be called “Mortal Foils” and released via Italy’s specialist label Heavy Psych Sounds Records. 
And as this is not their first release but another one in quite a long list of excellent ones, it shows that singer/guitarist Enver Koneya, bassist Travis Williams and drummer Braden McGraw really know what they want to sound like – a mixture of “full-throttle, pedal to the metal” and “whirling swooshing Tornado jet”. The new song thunders like steamrolling in a Mad Max-vehicle without roof right through Los Angeles all the way up the coast with the wind rushing through your hair while tanking north on Pacific Highway 101 and then having to step down a bit because otherwise the turns and curves will not be mastered especially in Big Sur and North. If the upcoming record is as convincing as this one then we might up for something special!

alternative rock

Sometimes there comes a band that is able to emulate a sound that directly brings up several memories from your past that you had forgotten you had somewhere deep in you. Now a lot of you readers will say “Of course that is what good music should be able to so that you find a connection to it!” For clarification: Listening to an EP with the singer in the first song sounding like a first-class Layne Staley impersonator is never a bad thing, especially when he concentrates on the articulation and breathing and not on the impossible to imitate the voice of Alice in Chains’ front man. With the second using the same bells that Radiohead used for “Karma Police” is another very positive thing and the third one witnessing a voice imitating Thom’s way of phrasing words and sounds while the band is finding the middle between both bands the author of these lines is back in a room at home with the lights on, thinking about former loves and igniting hundreds of candles to fit his mood. Or is that just what this record wants me to feel like? Probably; well: Well done!

Thorsten

post rock/ progressive rock / alternative rock

The Shape Of Things To Come is an album released in November 16, by progressive rock project No Sudden Moves, from Melbourne, Australia. A very concise musical effort, the record is just over thirty-six minutes long. With eight tracks — 1) The Shape Of Things To Come; 2) Cause And Effect; 3) Stroll On; 4) First Contact; 5) Nothing's Easy; 6) The Space Between; 7) This Is The Life; 8) I Wander; — The Shape Of Things To Come is a sensationally beautiful album, despite the fact that it does not bring any extravagant innovation into the forefront of the genre. Nevertheless, the record display phenomenal virtues, that deserves to be highlighted. Its light, clean and well-diluted sound is harmonically cohesive, exceptionally vivid and radically authorial, at least to a certain level. 

The style of the artist is technically consistent and displays a respectable degree of proficiency; as a matter of fact, each track possesses its own singular qualities. The serene poetic densities of the third track, Stroll On, and the oblique tonalities of the fifth track, Nothing's Easy — whose melodies ultimately converts into a moderately progressive tune —, exhibit a thoughtful and efficient eclecticism, that over the course of the entire album, demonstrates in a very undisputed fashion that the artist is quite secure even in an expressive range of musical territories, though he never leaves the genre, knowing how to explore lucidly, and how to add especial flavors, even to the assiduously traditional diagrams conceived by the wonderful mosaic that his spectacular style invariably becomes. 

With a sensible and serene sonorous disposition, that eagerly projects over the diffusive lines of its melodies the dense elements of its own introspective horizon of dispersive and abstract creativity, the music exhibited on this work — despite the extensive use of elements that make the sonority, to a certain degree, quite predictable —, is also surprisingly versatile and distinct, because the artist already in the beginning displays his ability to explore wisely and profusely the most diverse conjuncture of tonalities, resonances and harmonies, within the expansive dimensional context of his restless and proverbial style. 

There's no doubt that the overall sound displayed by the artist is profoundly sensible and original. With a serene, but at the same time colorful gracefulness, the artist conceives a world of sound so dehydrated and detached — whose unimaginable beauty stands beyond the horizon of its own soul —, that the fantastic tranquility crafted by the music creates a renitent splendor, that floats endlessly towards the everlasting poetic nature of its wonderfully sensitive and delightful melodies. 

Despite the fact that — in a general evaluation — the music displayed by this artist is quite simple, The Shape Of Things To Come reveals itself as a majestically unique and very audacious work of art, whose most virtuous elements come from its subtle authorial ambitions, that at first doesn't stand out, but slowly expand to all sonorous spaces, like the sunlight, that slowly illuminates the whole morning. With primarily organic compositions that exalt the full vigor of its elegant beauty, this album is a remarkable milestone of ambient rock music, that deserves to be fully appreciated, and above of all, recognized by the graceful uniqueness, the authorial sensibilities and the splendorous consistency of its versatile and dynamic musicality.


Wagner

post metal / folk metal

Every once in a while a new side of a regular genre is opened and forces people to open their notions of and vocabulary for said genre. With Boreal Hymn from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada it’s quite the same. They offer an quite unique blend of medieval sounds, chants and post-metal songwriting with regular gurgling singing and guttural screaming. This EP is their debut and the four “pagan revelries” as the duo calls them show some pretty interesting ideas of composing a sound somewhere between Junius, Agalloch on the one side and Heilung, Wardruna on the other side. The soundscapes remind one of a bodhran, acoustic guitars, medieval horns and – on the other hand – some droney, ambient parts. The prominent members Colby Hink (known from Wormwitch) and Bronson Lee Norton (The Seer) have embarked one a new sound and although one naturally must remark upon the (momentary) inadequacies of the songwriting as their ideas and skills still need some refinement but one should remember this is still a demo and remember to follow this band on one of their social media outlets or the usual streaming services – they might be up to something refreshingly new.

black metal

Bands like Agalloch or The Ruins of Beverast have shown how shamanistic (and in part nihilistic) ritualistic Black Metal can be, a band like Heilung stresses the ritual-aspect of the music much more than their black metal roots. And now there is a band who started more than ten years ago, The Deathtrip, who are back with only their second real full-length, Demon Solar Totem released via Profound Lore and Svart Records.  A band that definitely knows how to purvey a cold atmosphere while playing with shaman chants and small bells and lots of passages that remind one more of a pagan mass that puts a spell on its audience. The production is raw to say the least, sometimes this whirlwind of an album doesn’t give away whether the sounds are real soundscapes or mere very dirty feedback. This “super-group” with members of Grave Pleasures, Dodheimsgard and My Dying Bride tries to encapsulate the essence of raw ritualistic metal aiming for an effect of fear of affection. Either you hate it or you leave it – true for most black metal bands, The Deathtrip being one of the better ones albeit not of the same level as the genre forerunners mentioned above. 

black metal

Two songs, one hour. No, we are not talking about a radio edit of Bell Witch’s “Mirror Reaper” but about a new release by Chicago-based three-piece Canyon of the Skull consisting of guitarist Erik Ogershok (who even moved to the US a few years ago in order to follow his dreams with the band), bass player Todd Haug (Powermad, 1349) and drummer Mike Miczek (The Atlas Moth). Ogershok is the mastermind behind it all and he wanted to purvey an image of a ritual performed by the Natives of Northern America, as he named the two tracks “The Ghost Dance” and “The Sun Dance”, the first one alluding to the ritual that should connect the living and the dead in order for the ghosts to wake up and fight the white colonialists. Clearly a sign of frustration and despair. The songs show remarkable songwriting skills as the band’s kind of black metal is really refreshing and is able to make the listener feel connected to the spiritual world due to its meditative character. An album for everybody interested in some form of instrumental music channeling stoner rock, doom and black metal. Put the record on, dive in and drop out. 

indie / rock

The Get Up Kids, The Goo Goo Dolls, The Spielbergs. Who? The Spielbergs! A three-piece power pop band from Oslo is on its way to become the new sensation in bubblegum punk. Of course, we have heard songs like the title track or “Fake A Reaction” or “Daisy! It’s the New Me” quite often. There is hardly something new in a genre whose heydays are twenty years past. However, there will always be an audience for this kind of music as there will always be new generations of youth who need their own (loser) anthems. The title track is one of those songs to which you can already see late teens and early twens dancing and singing along to, shouting out such anthemic slogans like “I don’t wanna be worthless / Just let me go back to start” or also “I was more than good to go / I wish you finally gave in” (from “Oh No”). Interestingly, there is as much Placebo in here as there are the Replacements, just as much uptempo as there is distortion. And who knows – maybe the Spielbergs are the ignition for a revival of a music genre that can never perish but that is always forgotten by the elders!


​Thorsten