Merchants Of Air
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Albums
    • Concerts
  • Premieres
  • Interviews
  • Giveaways
  • Playlists
  • Shop
    • Merchants Of Air releases
  • About us
    • About Us
    • Writers Wanted
    • Logos and banner
    • Advertise
    • Mailinglist

Dogbane  - Idylls of Woe

11/8/2019

Comments

 
heavy metal
Heaven And Hell Records
facebook
Picture
Idylls of Woe is an album released in July 19, by old school heavy metal group Dogbane. With eight tracks — 1) The One I Was Warned Of; 2) Devil's Tramping Ground; 3) Blood in the Snow; 4) Riddle of Steel; 5) Land of Shadows; 6) Now You Know; 7) Winter of Man's Demise; 8) Sin Eater; — the album doesn't have anything that could qualify the work as superb, excellent or extraordinary, in any level whatsoever. Nevertheless, the record is relatively good, displays some intriguing, dynamic and ferocious harmonies, and definitely exhibits competently all the formidable features that were abundant in classical heavy metal, with a decent level of agility and virtuosity. 

Despite a certain lack of originality, Idylls of Woe has what it takes to be taken seriously, and the sound is efficiently diluted in a pool of dense and striking harmonies, whose diffusive savagery and proficient technique makes the group's style worthwhile listening. 
After some songs, though, the sound of the band resents itself of some terribly generic, exasperating and repetitive features; you really have to be passionate about the genre to be willing to listen to the album until the end. 

However, it is worth noting that the album has its qualities and virtues, though they may be frivolous to a limited extent. The fourth track — Riddle of Steel — is a marvelous and exceptionally good song, that not only defines perfectly the style of the band, but also showcases their most refined sonorous impetus, that on the edge of its dynamic ocean of abrasive restlessness, flirts a little with a modest degree of originality and authorial uneasiness. The sixth track, Now You Know, is also an incredibly fantastic song, whose lines closely follows the traditional path of a glorious anthem of old school classic hard rock.    

With marvelous, but sparse, guitar solos — that probably is Dogbane's most attractive quality — and a competent set of melodies, Idylls of Woe is, at best, a good, satisfactory album. Its not bad, but its not great either. With too much generic passages, and an unfortunate lack of originality, the record manages to be interesting, but in any moment achieves a remarkable or relevant degree of excellence. 


Wagner

Comments

Brieviews 63

6/7/2019

Comments

 
Picture

Maximilian Latva - Nekyia

noise / dark ambient / experimental
bandcamp
Picture
After 'Hrön', released in 2017, Maximilian Latva returns with a new album. Six tracks long, 'Nekyia' is a harsh and often unsetling dark ambient trip with intense synth-scapes and wailing guitars. It's cool to hear how Latva adapts elements of noise into captivating electronic chamber music with a haunting atmosphere. The result is something that seasoned ambient-noise fans can fully appreciate. My favorite track here is 'Sanoista saastunut', a lingering set of distorted synths, perfectly suited for gritty jazz bars and eerie horror movies alike. My advice? Check it out, it'll be worth the sonic journey...

HIN  - Warmer Weather 

electronic
dSound In Silence
Picture
Two school friends, jamming with electronics and creating melancholic yet dance-able indie pop tunes, that's pretty much how this project can be described. This duo comes up with an intriguing EP where electronics meets post rock. Most of the songs on this EP remind me a bit of Worriedaboutsatan but with emotional indie-vocals. Opener 'The Lower Heat' is already a potential top hit and halfway through 'Blue In Alkali' I'm expecting HIN to one day support Depeche Mode. Don't ask me why. This is very interesting modern-day post-whatever with intense electronic percussion and an emotional impact, neat!

Winterblind - Effigy

progressive / metal / black metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
According to their facebook page, Belgian progressive metal band Winterblind is definitely not a pyramid scheme. That's good to know but I think it's more interesting to dive into their ruthless and complex music. 'Effigy' is their second EP, and it's loaded with warring riffs, meticulous drumming and harsh vocals. The result is a six-track EP which is just as baffling as it is confusing. If you're into the technically superior regions of black metal, Winterblind might be one of your new favorites. Speaking of favorites, 'Stride' is my aboslute favorite, although 'Black-Scholes' and the almost Tool-ish 'My Public Anatomy' also deliver the odd goods. Anyway, 'Effigy' is an EP to discover...

Plague 9 - Mr. Ass

heavy metal / thrash metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Coined as "something for headbanging metal junkies", Australian four-piece Plague 9 delivers old school thrash metal in the vein of most of your favorites. Between the intense riffs and the grooving drums we can find influences from Pantera, Megadeth, Metallica and so on. Opener 'Stuck In Hell' might need a few seconds to get used to but halfway through this song I can see a crowd of metalheads fiercely banging their heads. 'Criminal Justice' might be a bit too chaotic for me but 'Flavour Of The Weak' is a smasher and a possible fan favorite. In all, this is definitely something for old school thrashers.

Things That Aren’t There - Vicious Cycles

downtempo / electronic / post rock / shoegaze
facebook
Picture
English electronic post rock duo Things That Aren't There return with another epic two-track EP. I reviewed their preview EP in Brieviews 38 (read) so I was curious about their evolution. Opener and title track 'Vicious Cycles' immediately delivers the goods. Driving on minimal beats and lingering electronics, this song is a modern day shoegaze epic, laced with elements from industrial and post rock. A bit like Worriedaboutsatan but darker and eerier. 'The West Was Won' nudges more towards the post rock spectrum with its dreamy guitars, making it another brilliant piece of music. Recommended? Absolutely!

Wykan - Brigid - Of The Night

psychedelic / doom
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
In Brieviews 39 I was raving about the psychedelic rock meets extreme metal sound of Montreal based act Wykan. Guess what, they did it again. What starts out as something Pink Floyd forgot to compose suddenly and brutally dives into the world of old school black metal. In fact, Wykan regularly drags you from a trip through space into the depths of hell and back again. This is such a bewildering experience. Not enough variation for you? Well, how about some stoner rock riffs, or grinding blastbeats, or ritual doom worship? All of that is in all three of these mindblowing tunes. Be sure to get your ears on this EP.

Radien - Aste

sludge / black metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Beginning with one of the most haunting intros in blackened sludge history, this two-track by Finnish act Radien is one to cherish for a long time. Eerie vocals and throat-singing over slow, lingering riffs and forceful drums, creating an intense, murky atmosphere, right before all hell breaks loose in sheer Yob or Conan style. Yet, now that those comparisons have been made, it's safe to say that Radien somehow manages to lift the level of intensity even higher. Makes me wonder: why is this band not at the very top of the sludge-scene? And the second track simply repeats the whole demolition. Masterfully crafted blackened sludge, nothing more, nothing less...

Peter Jørgensen - Alt i Stykker

ambient / modern classical / experimental
bandcamp
Picture
With a range of acoustic instruments and classically schooled vocalists, Peter Jørgensen delivers an awe-inspiring two-track EP. 'Alt i Stykker' is no regular ambient album, although the overall sentiment is slow and narrative. I think this could better be described as two lengthy pieces of modern day classical music, or sound track compositions for a gloomy film. In all, 'Alt i Stykker' is a remarkable release, not easy to categorize but definitely easy to enjoy if you are into unusual, free form and improvised classical music. Check it out. it's certainly worth your time.

Boobs Of Doom - Sorcerer

drone / doom / noise / experimental
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Scottish doom outcasts Boobs Of Doom are regulars here on Merchants Of Air, and for a good reason too. This duo does things their way, resulting in weird and interesting albums which defy the rules of doom metal, so to speak. In fact, 'Sorcerer' nudges harshly towards the drone and noise scene with four unique tracks. Perhaps you can say that this is the musique concrète version of drone doom. Perhaps you could say that this is a bit too strange for your sensitive ears but fact remains, Boobs Of Doom is a unique entity, walking its own path through the world of sonic composition and quite often, it's worth following that path...

Temple Music - The Unquiet Mind

ambient / electronic
Sombre Soniks
facebook
Picture
Alan Trench & Steve Robinson have been working under the moniker Temple Music for quite some time now and with 'The Unquiet Mind', they deliver a brooding album, inspired by ​Evia, an island at the crossroads of Greek, Byzantine, Ottoman, Venetian and Albanian cultures. Musically, this results in a frenzy of soundscapes, rhythms and melodies which remind me of a mix between Master Musicians Of Bukkake and Tangerine Dream. The five pieces on this album are lengthy electronic music compositions, perfectly capable of taking the listener on a trip. It'll be an unusual sonic adventure but one with many stories to tell, I promise.

Lunden - Lunden

noise rock
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Danish duo Lunden sounds like two members of Melvins getting drunk and jamming on each other's instruments. I'm not sure if that's a compliment but still, this is mind bending noise rock, probably influenced by everything between Sonic Youth, post hardcore and ritual noise acts. 'Bestanden' is way over the top for me but most of the other tracks showcase an intense urge to experiment. 'Ultrapisme' is another weird noise act while 'Screen Walking' and 'Endlessity' scream garage noise rock. In all, this is something for the die-hard noise rock fans, who should already be drooling by now...

Jimbo - Where The Vultures Gather

stoner rock / grunge / alternative rock
facebook
Picture
Hailing from Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Jimbo throws three pieces of grooving rock music into this eclectic mix. Firmly rooted in the stoner rock scene ('Mama Wava'), this trio is not afraid to experiment with old school doom rock and grunge ('Pyrethrin') or heavy garage rock ('Where The Vultures Gather'). Perhaps not surprisingly for a band who seems to be influenced by acts like Led Zeppelin, Smashing Pumpkins and Alice In Chains. These three songs are quite interesting, especially if you love flashing guitar solos (yeah, let's also list heavy metal as an influence, just for these solos). Now shut up and rock!!!


​Serge
Comments

Brieviews 62

18/5/2019

Comments

 
Picture

Ogmasun - Into the Void

post rock / post metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
With 'Into The Void', Swiss progressive post metal combo Ogmasun delivers a dark, broody and intense trip. Two tracks, forty minutes, this album one hell of a journey. Perhaps it is not as easy digestible as most post-rock related albums but it's certainly worth the effort. Gloomy ambient tunes alternate with heavy, guitar based pieces of music in which the bass pushes the whole thing forward. Then there are the vocal samples which fit perfectly over the music and elements of indie rock, math rock and progressive rock. The result is something highly narrative, something every fan of elaborate anthems will appreciate.

Bunkr - Schluss

noise rock / jazz / experimental
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
What starts as a pretty normal post rock album quickly develops into something mind boggling as Swiss band Bunkr opens a box of influences from noise rock to jazz, mathcore and even progressive metal. On 'Schluss' the band comes up with five tracks, mixing dissonance with immersive hooks and sheer intensity. The result is a baffling piece of work, not easy to comprehend but definitely something fans of the unusual will enjoy. Title track 'Schluss' is my personal favorite here, or perhaps the somewhat sludgy 'Truand'. Most fans will prefer the lengthy 'Vautour', but all five of these tracks will overwhelm you, no doubt about that.

Gloson - Mara

doom / sludge
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Roaming somewhere between funeral doom and sludge metal, Swiss act Gloson delivered a gut piercing two-track EP. To tell you the truth, I was a bit surprised when I heard it for the first time. Instead of the hazy, stoner version of doom, which I expected, Gloson immediately comes up with massive riffs, pummeling drums and fierce death growls. Needless to say, perhaps, but I was quickly impressed with opener 'Usurper'. 'Equinox' easily walks the same rough and brutal path. Heavy, intense, yet melodic and immersive, this EP is an absolute must-have for the seasoned doom fan, no doubt about that. 

Geezer - Spiral Fires

psychedelic / doom / stoner rock
Kozmik Artifactz
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Can't get enough of heavy riffing and doomed journeys? Well then, put this in your pipe and smoke it. American trio Geezer throw a massive EP into the mix with 'Spiral Fires'. Opening with a psychedelic space tune, this EP quickly takes us off this planet and into the vast darkness of our galaxy. Then, when the riffs, the bass and the drums appear, Geezer guides you on sonic waves of Sabbathian riffing, something like that. And all of that continues in the other three tracks. As far as psychedelic doom metal is concerned, you rarely get anything more interesting than this. So obviously this comes highly recommended

Lecu - Scented Sonar

ambient
Left Tapes
facebook
Picture
The facebook page mentions: "Ambient kinda guy // ambient kinda music" and that pretty much covers the load for this three-track EP. Inspired by Frahm, Eno and Aphex Twin, Lecu comes up with three enigmatic ambient tunes, a bit experimental at times but certainly worthy of a spot in your elaborate ambient playlist. My favorite here is 'Blue Desert', which combines gloomy soundscapes with playful elements, which somehow represents a soft summer rain. I think ambient fans will know what to do with this beauty. Check it out and allow Lecu to take you on a beautiful underwater journey...

Aleksei Nikitin - Vesna

house / techno / electronic
bandcamp
Lobster Records
Picture
Russian producer Aleksei Nikitin comes up with a pretty exciting 12" which will get many EDM fans on their feet. Opener 'Gruv' immediately sets the tone: repetitive beats, rough sampling and minimal melodies. Yet, my favorite here is the dark dancefloor filler 'Blaze Away' which takes me back to the days of Zen Paradox, Shaolin Wooden Men and so on. Title track 'Vesna' even delves into the dark underground of gothic industrial electro and heavy synthpop. That's three different styles of house music, all on one EP, more than enough to appear on these pages. So check this out and shake your ass. You know you want to...

Druhá Smrt - Incarnatium

dark ambient
Sombre Soniks
facebook
Picture
I don't think Druhá Smrt need an introduction on these pages. Over the past few years, this Czech duo have become one of my absolute favorites in the dark ambient scene. Their new effort, 'Incarnatium' merely cements that spot. With four tracks, this EP is another brilliant statement for Druhá Smrt. Dark, brooding and immersive as hell, this EP can easily stand next to your favorites by Raison D'Etre, Lustmord or Atrium Carceri, just to name a few. This is a somber album, mystifying and dreary, like only the most seasoned dark ambient acts can produce. Believe me, ​Druhá Smrt is a force to be reckoned with in this scene. You need this!

Chelidon Frame - NowHere Nowhere NoWhere

ambient / experimental
Sounds Against Humanity
facebook
Picture
From the bandcamp page: "This music is an attempt to tame all the new sounds you meet when moving to a new house". Composed out of processed field recordings, this album is an outstanding piece of minimal ambient. With nine track, Chelidon Frame attempts to narrate a story, something deeply personal. Now, I can't really say I feel the story on this album but I do enjoy the music. These are unusual and unrecognizable sounds, dressed in layers of soothing ambient, fitting perfectly with the sounds that surround you, like church bells, passing cars or the neighbor's music. In all, this is a highly enjoyable album, one that will pleasantly surprise you.

Talipes Valgus - Sly

electronic / downtempo
bandcamp
Picture
With six tracks, Russian electronic act Talipes Valgus comes up with a slow, pulsating and brooding EP where trip hop receives a modern day make-over. According to the biography, the software used for this music is Ableton and in a way you can hear that. The deep bass lines and the typical Ableton sounds are present, but that doesn't mean that this thing is stale and unoriginal. In fact, 'Ravine River' plays with orchestral samples to create something rather overwhelming. Besides, Talipes Valgus doesn't shun the experiment, resulting in a few odd but mesmerizing pieces of music.

Haunt - If Icarus Could Fly

heavy metal
Shadow Kingdom Records
facebook
Picture
And just like that we're catapulted back into the glory days of heavy metal. Haunt digs deep into the world of NWOBHM and comes out with a flashing eight track EP. Each of these tracks could have been written by one of your favorite old school heavy metal bands but hey, they forgot so here is Haunt to make you raise your horned fist and yell along with these infectious tunes. Opener 'Run & Hide' is probably one of the most electrifying metal tunes released this year and most of the others will make your rock dick grow hard, I promise. So yeah, heavy fucking metal. If you like that, you will love the hell out of this EP.

Suffering Hour - Dwell

black metal / death metal
Helter Skelter Productions
facebook
Picture
And to plummet in utter darkness, here is 'Dwell' by American horde Suffering Hour, an eighteen minutes lasting anthem of black and death metal torment, destined to erode your sanity. This track is a massive slap in the face of those who have strict guidelines to enjoy their death metal. This is intense, ferocious and suffocating but it also comes with a very high level of atmospheric songwriting. Suffering Hour certainly is a unique entity in the world of death metal, adding plenty of variation to a genre that thrives of violence and brutality. So yeah, this is one for the extremists among us, one you'll cherish or suffer.

Russ Young - Pala

ambient
Audiobulb
Picture
I often end my sets of Brieviews with a soothing ambient release. I have a good reason for that. Writing these short reviews can get intense, especially if I write them in one go, which means several hours of listening and writing. This time I picked a wonderful ambient EP by Russ Young. Four tracks, one as blissful and as restful as the next. Opener 'Polaris' is a beautiful piece of music, driving on minimal melodies and flowing soundscapes. 'Cavern' feels somewhat darker but is just as immersive. In all, 'Pala' is one of those releases that you just want to dive into, which is exactly what I would recommend. Press play, close your eyes and escape from the wicked world we live in...


​Serge
Comments

Brieviews 57 - Patsker's Partyhits

29/12/2018

Comments

 
Picture

Various Artists - Earthen, A Cold Spring Sampler

dark ambient / noise / drone / experimental
Cold Spring
Picture
The Cold Spring label celebrates their 250th release with a 29 track double CD. This UK label is specialized in all kinds of extreme music. This compilation contains a broad view of artists who create uncompromising underground music. All the tracks were already previously released. The only exclusive and unheard song is from Coil with Spastiche (Trumpo).

The songs are drowned in the darkest  and coldest atmospheres you can imagine. From the harsh noise of Merzbow to the addictive dark ambient sounds of Sonologyst, or from the doom punk escapades of Zeni Geva & Steve Albini to the creepy sounds of MZ.412. There is enough to discover on this sampler.

​The most curious artist on this release is Barry Adamson, former bass player of The Bad Seeds (Nick Cave). In collaboration with Pan Sonic, Barry Adamson composed this ice cold vocal song, The Hymn Of The Seventh Illusion, that ends this compilation in beautiful darkness. The sampler is a true guide in dark music for beginners and for experienced listeners. This double CD,  limited to 4000 copies in a gate fold Eco-pack is more than worth its money!


Various Artists - Servants Of Chaos II

black metal / industrial metal
Debemur Morti Productions
Picture
During the darkest days of the year a flock of blood sucking bats were released with the compilation of Servants Of Chaos II. The French label Debemur Morti Productions indicates fifteen years of dedication to dark metal music. In fact, this is a very original release that contains fifteen exclusive tracks of fourteen bands. Au Champ Des Mort has the honor of having two hunting and atmospheric black metal tracks on the album. The variety of this extreme metal compilation is high. The psychoactive guitar riffs of Blut Aus Nord and Throane next to the more experimental and industrial approach of Terra Tennebrosa and Manes and the old school attitude of Behexen and Wallachia, show us the broad spectrum of the label in extreme metal. With no doubt Servants Of Chaos II leads the black metal fans to a dark and scorched heaven.


Sarah-Jane Summers  - Solo

folk / celtic
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
With a fiddle and Hardanger fiddle as the only instruments used on Solo, Sara-Jane Summers shows her diverse talents on these folk instruments. She has already made several  live performances at rock, jazz, folk, country, and noise festivals worldwide. Sarah-Jane Summers  is releasing music as a duo with her husband Juhani Silvola and solo since 2008. She has made already many recording contributions in the folk-scene. Her playing  embraces the historical Celtic melancholic mood.  This release of old folk covers received an intelligent input. From happy dancing tunes to the sad sounding fiddle vibes, Solo, has the wisdom not to be boring or sleepy. Sarah-Jane Summers  managed to revive Celtic music from a different perspective. 


Stvannyr  -  Secrets Of Black Ruins

folk / acoustic
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Stvannyr is a project of the Hungarian guitar player István ‘Musicformessier’ Csarnogursky. This artist from the Carpathian basin is a multi active guitar player involved in several projects. From guitar ambient (Musicformessier) to black metal (Realm Of Wolves) and much more (Silent Island, Black Hill). István Csarnogursky has the talent to create special floating guitar sounds that make you drift away.  With Secrets Of Black Ruins he brings a more  folk touch to the ambient guitar licks known from his other project Musicformessier. Six beautiful atmospheric folk instrumentals overwhelmed us with day-dreaming peace. Only available as digital download. Do not hesitate to have a listen to this artist’s other projects.


Bluetech  -  Liquid Geometries

ambient / electronic
bandcamp
Picture
Evan Bartholomew has been performing electronic music for nearly 20 years as Bluetech. He has also credits in composing music for video games and TV/movie scores. With Liquid Geometries this American electronica artist from Portland joined the DiN label of Ian Boddy. Evan Bartholomew explores the electronic sounds  like the old masters of the Berlin School did. A lot of sequenced vibes  are put together into an interesting trip of soundscapes. Nothing new on the horizon but the recording has a high quality production and sounds refreshing. Bluetech  provided nicely constructed and moody tracks on this release. This is a grower. 


Athrox - Through the Mirror

heavy metal
Revalve Records
facebook
Picture
Athrox plays a groovy kind of old school metal, a mixture between Armored Saint and Anthrax. This hardworking band from Italy released with Through the Mirror their second album. The songs have lots of variety in style and tempo. When they speed up  you can feel and hear fragments of Metal Church. Athrox perform their music with finesse and deliver good melodic tracks. The down tempo songs don’t lose strength and have no disturbing effect on the album. Some compositions contain a welcome input of thrash metal. Athrox released with Through the Mirror an old school metal album carrying a wide range how heavy metal should sound. Nice work.




​Patsker
Comments

Brieviews 53

30/10/2018

Comments

 
Picture

Dizorder - Moon Phases

alternative / metal / metalcore
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Although I'm not always content with the term "female fronted metal", I have to say that in this case the presence of Chloé defines the whole identity of Dizorder. While the men behind her deliver a solid modern day metal foundation, Chloé varies from melancholic to firm to brutal several times in a row. This EP contains four tracks, an intro and an outro. It showcases a wide of influences, from Evanescence and Flyleaf to Linkin Park, Deftones, Otep and today's metalcore scene. Furthermorre, there are some excellent tunes to be found, like 'Erinyes' or 'Pick'. Nice work and an excellent business card.

Greyhawk - Ride Out

heavy metal / power metal
bandcamp
facebook
Tsss, those Americans, rebooting something everybody in Europe laughs at, except Manowar fans but I don't think they have that much to laugh about anyway. Heading from Seattle, Greyhawk comes up with old school heavy metal, inspired by the greats and breathing the exact same air as Dio, Judas Priest, Blind Guardian, Helloween and so on. The result is this highly enjoyable and perfectly executed power metal EP, named 'Ride Out'. Fans of the old school will undoubtedly eat this up. So check it out, raise your horned fist and join the glory of heavy metal as it should be!
Picture

Gramma Vedetta - Proof of Concept

hard rock / stoner rock / alternative rock / grunge
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
We're not done having an old school party here. Next up is London based Gramma Vedetta and their infectious blend of blues, grunge, psychedelic rock and jam rock. Somehow these guys are stuck between the sixties and the nineties, which results in extravagant party tunes like 'Behind the Blinds', strange punky rockers like '.Taranto Train to Toronto Town' and instant grunge classics like 'She (Has A Plan)'. This EP is loaded with energy, fun and rock 'n roll. If this band can't get your party started, you are throwing the wrong party, that's for sure. So grab a beer and join me in the pit!

Godless - Swarm

thrash / death metal
bandcamp
facebook
Right, enough fun, time to torment our eardrums with some vile extremities courtesy of Indian death-thrash combo Godless. After an impending intro all hell breaks loose as we descent into a frenzy of riffs, blast-beats and ferocious screams. Influenced by everything between Kreator, Morbid Angel and Behemoth, Godless rages on with a murderous tempo and mind shattering intensity. This EP is short, but so is a chainsaw into the skull and that is a perfect comparison. Godless are not here to mess around, they are here to demolish, destroy and conquer. 
Picture

O n s e t - Unstructured Dissemination

doom
Weird Truth
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
This debut EP by Onset, a collaborative effort of Mirai Kawashima from Sigh and synthwave artist Microchip Terror, is perhaps one of the most surprising doom metal releases this year. With elements from traditional doom, post rock, space rock and extreme metal, Onset delivers something both immersive and unsettling. The riff-heavy approach of funeral doom meets with the soul piercing experimentality of noise to create two epic pieces of dark and heavy music. This is definitely not an easy EP to listen to but it a unique and refreshing entity in the world of doom, which imply means it's awesome.

Ssanahtes - Ssanahtes

doom / sludge / post hardcore
bandcamp
facebook
French "not another post metal" act Ssanahtes comes up with a whole lot of noise, surprisingly close related to post metal. This self-titled album is an intense, brutal and abrasive piece of sludge doom and noise rock, coming at you in six psychotic tunes. The band claims to be influenced by bands like Neurosis, Meshuggah, Cult Of Luna and Kickback. You might as well add the deranged sounds of Japanese acts like Skullflower to that list as well. The result is an extremely unsettling album, one that will definitely get on your nerves. Whether that's a good thing or not is up to you to decide.
Picture

Frenzy Frenzy - Just Another

pop rock
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Time for something on the lighter side of the rock music spectrum, which takes us to French trio Frenzy Frenzy. Their six track debut EP is loaded with sweet pop rock tunes, inspired by the pop music of Michael Jackson, INXS and Jamiroquai but also by rockers like Queens Of The Stone Age and The Black Crowes. The result is a fun album that will get many asses shaking, both on rock festivals and wedding receptions. I can't pick a favorite here but 'Into It All' is a potential chart hit. This is a fun EP, no doubt about that.

Charles In The Kitchen & Them Stones - Stones In The Kitchen

pop rock / alternative rock
bandcamp
Charles In The Kitchen
Them Stones
More joyous rock 'n roll from France, this time with a split singe by Charles In The Kitchen & Them Stones. Each band delivered one track beginning with the uptempo 'Arrogant Teenage Rag' by Charles In The Kitchen. This song somehow reminds me of the B52's, which is quite rare these days. Nonetheless, this is a neat tune and a definte dancefloor filler. The other side is for Them Stones, who showcase a more serious approach. Here the grunge scene comes to mind, heavy on riffs and methodical on the drums. Alice In Chains meets Weezer, something like that. In all, this is a enjoyable single, nothing more, nothing less.
Picture




​Serge
Comments

Ottone Pesante – Apocalips

30/10/2018

Comments

 
heavy brass metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Trumpet, trombone and drums and… they play metal. Here is Ottone Pesante’s second album Apocalips. Yes, no guitars and so what? The trio plays heavy brass metal and expresses how intensive wind instruments can be.

The cover of Apocalips shows seven trumpets revealing the evil and suffering that the people of the world will perish. Ottone Pesante’s musical style is far from apocalyptic but has a dramatic undertone. Their brass music in combination with the heavy metal way of playing, delivers an unexpected dazzling and beautiful pallet of original vibes. 

Ottone Pesante are the trumpet player Francesco Bucci,  the trombone player Paolo Raineri and drummer Beppe Mondini. Their first album Brassphemy Set in Stone was a surprising piece of work although it received mixed opinions. We are sure a lot of people couldn’t box their weird approach of metal.  

History shows several introductions of jazz instruments in metal music. Jazz fusion in metal started in the beginning of the 90’s. Celtic Frost introduced already in 1985 the French horn in their ground breaking album To Mega Therion. One of the first bands who used a trombone in metal was Sear Bliss. This Hungarian black metal band is still active and employing this instrument to complement their dark atmospheric playing. In the year 2010 the Norwegian avant-garde metal band Shining released their album Blackjazz. The saxophone on the album contained a free jazz style which rendered Shining worldwide attention.

Apocalips starts with Shining Bronze Purified In The Crucible in a very jazzy way but changes in metal riff- like chords. The trombone vibrates like a bass guitar. Ottone Pesante increases speed on The Lamb With Seven Horns And Seven Eyes. The drumming is pure metal with a punk touch. 

These Italian wind blowers swing through the whole album like a three lunged elephant. They create a creepy atmosphere with their high tempo mixed with blazing alien sounds. The instruments construct all kinds of metal related feelings with interesting experimental pulsations. 
The Fifth Trumpet, is the only track with vocals. A dark intro guides us to the most extraordinary  song of the album. Lifting up the tension slowly, the fifth track explodes with the black metal vocals of Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation). This is to our opinion, by far the most experimental conceptualization ever recorded in terms of avant-garde music. 
​
Ottone Pesante’s bizarre alterations never get bored. Their wall of sound is artistic and inspiring. Two unique worlds of music converged together in an elegance almost beyond words. This is daring art with lungs and lips!


Patsker


Comments

Armahda - Armahda

13/9/2018

Comments

 
heavy metal / power metal 
facebook
Picture
‘The history of Brazil will cross the ocean’ tour, brought Armahda, a Power Metal band from Sao Paulo Brazil, to several European countries. By chance the self released cd was given to me by the owner of a second hand cd shop, which the band had visited during their European tour. 

My hunger  to  discover  new  underground bands who,  like Armahda, play  music with passion and emotion was unexpectedly rewarded. A quick search on the net showed that there was still no review of this cd. So here it is, on our Merchants Of Air website.

The band was formed by Maurício Guimaraes (vocals and all instruments) and Renato Domingos (all instruments) in 2011. They recorded the album with guest musicians in 2013 and they toured during summer of 2018 on the European continent with a complete band.

At the first listening of this debut cd, released in 2015, I was immediately hooked on their greasy and heavy speedy guitar sound.  Brazil has many bands who play different styles of Metal, Armahda is a band that mixes many Metal styles to their  own style. From Speed Metal riffs with screaming guitar solos and fast double bass drums, to  Pagan/Viking Metal songs, to serene semi acoustic indigenous influenced parts. The lyrics take you to the painful and unknown  history of their native country. The second song on the album contains the sentence: ‘history is written by the ones who win’ and opened my ears and eyes for the rest of the album!

Paiol em Chamas is the only song in Portuguese on the cd, and is by far the most aggressive piece of Heavy Metal music on the album! Screaming your guts out in your own language is still the best  way to do so!  This self-titled album gives you more and more details after every listen. The lyrics are published in the booklet and give you insight of the history of Brazil. From time to time you feel the emotional ghost of System Of A Down wandering  around, but this is more a compliment than a comparison. The musicians play their instruments like it’s the day before they won’t be able to play anymore…

Armahda gives you honest Metal with speed, power and passion!!


​Patsker

 

Comments

Brieviews 52

6/9/2018

Comments

 
Picture

Ashtoreth - Ciuthach

drone / ambient / folk
Sleep FUSE Subscription Series
facebook
Picture
Ashtoreth joins the Sleep FUSE subscription series with an enigmatic one track EP, based on a Scottish folklore creature myth of the Ciuthach. This 23 minutes lasting track follows the same path as most of his releases, which is a good thing of course, especially if you love droning vocals, eerie soundscapes, field recordings and atmospheric ambient. As always, Ashtoreth invites the listener on a dark, somewhat haunting sonic journey, either through vast forests or you own imagination. That choice is yours. Recommended? Undoubtedly...

Zer0 れい - an overview

electronic / ambient/ synthwave

Afterglow 20XX

bandcamp
facebook
Picture
More experimental sounds from Belgium, this time with ​Zer0 れい . This music delves right into the eighties, inspired by old movie and video games soundtracks. The result is an unusual and somewhat eerie approach to so-called vaporwave; It's synth music, but coming at you in a gritty,  raw and somewhat way. But what would you expect from a project from the same guy who gave us the harsh noise of Unholy Analog Noisemachine, Crucifix Eye and MxCx. This EP contains six songs, none of which being suited for radio stations. It's strange, but with minimalistic synth tunes like 'Pariah', this an become quite interesting.

Midihack

bandcamp
Picture
Released in June, 'Midihack' can please me a lot more than 'Afterglow 20XX'. The EP opens with 'Mods', a track that takes me right into either Mr Robot scenes or apocalyptic fun fairs. The EP shows a bit more, or more distinct, rhythms, making it a tad more digestible. However, don't expect some easy listening new age, this stuff is still rather dark, reminiscent of the gloomy, experimental side of eighties synthpop. For me, this is one of the most surprising releases of the year, with excellent synth tunes like 'Komatsu Subzero' and 'rax2'. So if you're hungry for something different, you might want to check this out.

Slipstream 20XX

bandcamp
Picture
The most recent effort by Zer0 れい begins with a sharp intro before the vaporwave kicks off again. Gradually, over the three releases i can hear this act evolving as the whole becomes more musical and varied. Here, some of the old noise exploits of the artist comes shining through, appearing in mostly harsh tracks like 'Anticipation' and 'Suspension'. But you can also fill the dark dancefloors with tracks from this album, including 'Broadcast' or 'Ossuary 20XX'. In all, this album is a lot tenser and heavier than 'Midihack' but still an excellent example of what musical experimentation can lead to.

Xasthur - Aestas Pretium MMXVIII

acoustic / folk
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Legendary black metal act Xasthur is now an acoustic three-piece and I guess the black metal scene just has to deal with that. 'Aestas Pretium MMXVIII' contains five songs, all fully acoustic but still containing some of the aesthetics and technicalities of extreme metal. My favorite remains the opener 'Against Your Will'. I think old fans might have a problem with Scott Conner's clean vocals but then again, this is not black metal, this is "doomgrass", something between American folk music and the dark abyss that is extreme metal. My suggestion? Try it out, it just might be your thing now.

Black Market Heart - Who Put A Knife Through Your Heart?

post punk
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Founded by Spencer Robinson (The Wolf Spiders, The Lords of Altamont), Black Market Heart delves deep into another dark side of the eighties, that of post punk and new wave. Their debut EP delivers three short tracks which might best be described as grinding version of Joy Division or a minimalstic version of Sisters Of Mercy. 'Can't Live On The Other Side' immediately got me hooked. 'Under the Ivy' brings Bain Wolfkind to mind, especially in the vocals. Finally, 'Silver' invites me to those dark dancefloors again. So, new wavers of all ages, there is still hope. Check out this gem!

The Lautreamonts - Who Are You Wearing

post punk
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
A more melodic yet experimental version of post punk comes from Brazilian act The Lautreamonts, and what a version it is. In opener 'The Adequacy Waltz' alone acts like Cinema Strange, Dead Can Dance and Dresden Dolls came to mind. 'Who We Were' is a fantastic track, nudging towards shoegaze and dreampop. Yet, there is more than that, I ever hear a tad of grunge in 'The Ones He Wore' and closer 'Black Sabbath' is exactly what you'd expect, a surprisingly enigmatic cover. I often found myself thinking "damn, this is good", not only from a personal standpoint but also as far is overall quality is concerned. This is high quality postpunk, destined to reach high peaks in that scene.

Ennui - End Of The Circle

funeral doom
Non-Serviam Records
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Yes, a new funeral doom album. As a huge fan of everything slow and torpid, I can only be ecstatic about that. Hailing from Tbilisi, Georgia, Ennui keeps the funeral doom tradition in high regard, resulting in this crushing album. Three songs, seventy minutes of high quality music, quite similar to Esoteric, Shape Of Despair and Evoken. The atmospheric approach here is astounding, perhaps capable of gaining some fans in the post-post scene as well, if they appreciate growls and fierce black metal passages. But in the end, this is a perfect funeral doom album that will mostly and undoubtedly please the fans of the genre.

A Shoreline Dream - Waitout 

shoegaze / dreampop
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Shoegaze combi A Shoreline Dream continue their series of single with a new five-track, titled 'Waitout'. With a vast wall of jangling guitars and subdued vocals, this trio sets another step into their remarkable journey. If you are a fan of acts like Cocteau Twins, Slowdive and Ride, you might want to check out these dream-like anthems. The ballad 'Barnum' is probably my favorite track here while 'New York' will undoubtedly appeal to fans of danceable anthems. But eventually, I guess all of these tracks are certain highlights in the career of a band that honors that beautiful sound of shoegaze.

Rude Audio - Rude Redux

electronic / house / synth
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Hailing from London, UK, Rude Audio delivers some neat dance tunes for late night clubbing and chilling. The tags on bandcamp mention the term "Balearic" but I'm not very familiar with that so I'll have to go with how this music makes me feel. Well, opener 'To The Sun' is a minimal house track which brings me to imaginary beach clubs. 'To The Half Moon' rings out the dub. 'Rumble On Arab St.' does something intriguing with eighties synths and sequences and 'Pipeline Dreaming' gently wobbles on. Eventually, the Rich Lane remix of 'To The Half Moon' reminds me of lengthy car drives in Grand Theft Auto or Miami Vice. Nice? You betcha!!!

Idle Hands - Don't Waste Your Time

hard rock
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Well, since we're diving into eighties revivals, why not check out the heavy metal corners? Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Idle Hands honors the early sounds of bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Yet, there is also a sense of goth rock present. 'By The Way Of Kingdom' brings bands like Killing Joke or Sisters Of Mercy to mind while ancient rockers like Boston or Toto aren't that far away either. That combination is interesting, to say the least. My personal favorite is 'Can You Hear The Rain', yet all track here are good old fashioned dark hard rock songs which all rockers should give a chance.

Lower Automation - Shoebox Companion

math rock / alternative rock / experimental / noise rock / punk
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
It's been a while since a band reminded me of Belgian's finest, Evil Superstars. Chicago based trio Lower Automation does something frenetic and deranged with punk, math rock and noise rock. Parts Dillinger Escape Plan, parts Sonic Youth and parts Jesus Lizard come at you with high velocity and with the sonic insanity of Melt Banana. This six track EP is as dynamic as a rhino stampede, even without twisting the distortion button on their amps. 'Tethered' might be the most radio friendly songs here but it's not radio friendly at all. So I guess you have been warned. If you like punky musical chaos, you need this.




​Serge
Comments

Supremate - Uniting Flaw

5/9/2018

Comments

 
thrash metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Three years ago, when Merchants Of Air was still in its infancy, I got acquainted with Finnish heavy rockers Supremate. Back then they released their self-titled debut album, one in which I saw both potential and possible points of improvement. I remember writing the review from the perspective of a festival attendee, arriving at the event in the early afternoon. Now the band returns with a second full length, and I have to say, they have been evolving away from the young Nirvana, Offspring and Pantera coverband they used to be in the beginning of this century. Now Supremate is a full grown band with a solid and powerful sound.

'Uniting Flaw' contains ten tracks, all grafted from old school thrash metal. Opener 'Despite The Scars' immediately delivers the potent riffs and the raw, somewhat aggressive vocals. Although influences from their thrash, groove and heavy metal heroes are still present, the band seems to have found their own sound, one that most headbangers and riff enthusiasts will certainly appreciate. 'The Crown Don't Make A King' is a perfect example of that. It's loaded with delicious metal riffs but also leaves some room for experimentation, mainly in the drums.

My favorite track here is 'Territory' (not a Sepultura cover), closely followed by the crushing 'Blackness' and the groovy 'Falling Outside the Normal Moral Constraints'. These three songs show how much the band has been evolving in the past few years. Most of the instrumentation seems to come quite naturally. Only the vocals feel somewhat forced at times, as if the vocalist tries to overpower the music. I sure hope he can keep this level of aggression and roughness going for the foreseeable future.

I feel like the talent and potential of Supremate is slowly blooming. 'Uniting Flaw' shows a more coherent and experienced band than the debut album did, which is a good thing. Of course this album is no 'Master Of Puppets', 'Cowboys From Hell' or 'Rust In Piece' but it certainly is an entertaining piece of old school heavy metal. As before I think these songs will work better on stage than in the living room but if played loud enough you might find yourself banging your head multiple times. So check it out, you just might find a new favorite tune.


​Serge

Comments

Mist - Free Me Of The Sun

21/7/2018

Comments

 
doom
Soulseller
facebook
Picture
Right, back to traditional riffs worshiping, courtesy of Slovenian doom metal band Mist. Grab your war jacket, lace your boots and untie your ponytail because it is time to slowly bang our heads to this traditional female fronted blend of occult heavy and doom metal.

On 'Free Me Of The Sun' you can find ten tracks, each one balancing around the five minutes mark. I know, some doom freaks might want the songs to last a bit longer but somehow Mist managed to make them potent enough to remain enjoyable for a few consecutive listens.

When people talk about female fronted metal, the expectation is quite often one of angelic and dreamy vocals. However, Nina Spruk does things differently. With a potent, far-reaching voice she perfectly suits the equally potent music of her colleagues. With those elements, Mist places themselves amongst bands like Jex Thoth, Jess And The Ancient Ones, Windhand and so on. That would make this band an awesome addition to stoner and doom festivals, one that the audience will definitely appreciate.

Of course, musically you can expect to have bands like Saint Vitus and Black Sabbath coming to mind. The whole thing drives, or better thrives, on these monolithic riffs. Songs like opener 'The Ghoul' or 'December' are heavily immersive pieces of work and on 'Altar Of You' the guitars remind me a bit of My Dying Bride, another doom giant. Ok, perhaps the riffs in 'Disembody Me' are a bit too similar to Black Sabbath's 'War Pigs' but Mist easily turns it into one of their own.

I don't think that there is much more to say about this album. Obviously, this comes highly recommended for fans of traditional doom metal. It's difficult to find a favorite song, mainly because there is not that much variation to be found here, just a beautiful amalgamation of old school riffs, methodic drums and the magical witchcraft of Spruk. I know that many doomers will be sold immediately when they here these tunes. Although not the best album in its genre, I can see great things for Mist in the near future. This can become something huge.


​Serge

Comments
<<Previous
    Picture
    Support Merchants Of Air, check our our shirts

    Categories

    All
    Acoustic
    Alternative
    Ambient
    Americana
    Avant Garde
    Black Metal
    Blues
    Breakcore
    Classical
    Crust
    Dark Ambient
    Dark Jazz
    Darkwave
    Death Metal
    Doom
    Downtempo
    Dreampop
    Drone
    Drum & Bass
    Dungeon Synth
    EBM
    Edm
    Electronic
    Experimental
    Folk
    Folk Metal
    Funk
    Glitch
    Gothic
    Grindcore
    Grunge
    Hardcore
    Hard Rcok
    Hard Rock
    Heavy Metal
    Hip Hop
    House
    Idm
    Indie
    Industrial
    Jazz
    Krautrock
    Lo Fi
    Lo-fi
    Martial Industrial
    Math Rock
    Metal
    Metalcore
    Musique Concrète
    Neofolk
    New Wave
    Noise
    Noise Rock
    Nu Metal
    Pop
    Post Hardcore
    Post Metal
    Post Punk
    Post Rock
    Power Electronics
    Power Metal
    Progressive
    Psychedelic
    Psytrance
    Punk
    Rock
    Shoegaze
    Sludge
    Soul
    Soundtrack
    Southern Rock
    Space Rock
    Stoner Rock
    Symphonic Metal
    Synthpop
    Techno
    Thrash Metal
    Trance
    Trip Hop
    Vaporwave

Find us on

facebook
google+
twitter
tumblr
​
minds

About Us

Contact
FAQ
Logos and banners
© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.