post metal / black metal

Soul Grip are dead. Not to keep beating around the bush any more than necessary, the band is dead. The quintet from Ghent in Belgium have just released their latest EP and at the same time called it quits. They made it very clear in their final statement, that these songs were written during the Covid19-lockdown when it became obvious that their plans for recording a new full-length would not be happening. Thus they decided to record these two ‘quarantine songs’ in their rehearsal space and to have these songs reflect upon the times we are living in and (indirectly) how we deal with these things. The songs are Soul Grip at their songwriting peak, all the elements one loved about their music are still there and so much more. There are strong emotional, melancholic, deeply sorrowful moments on the record accompanied by some heavy outbursts that made them famous. “Sleep” is more based on doom elements and midtempo-structures. “Release me” on the other side is “classic” Soul Grip with all the hardcore-influences the band has been hailed for which even can be more relatable when you listen to those minute changes in pace and guitar work where only small little tidbits change the song’s atmosphere noticeably. It is always difficult to write and record your final songs, but maybe this is the best way imaginable because Soul Grip show up all the despair, all the sadness, the rage and the wrath that mankind is going through in this year of the pandemic. We can deny all our fears and anger as much as we want to, but when we go to bed and put our head to sleep we wish to be released from all of it in order to flee from reality when dreaming. Soul Grip do not deny the world around them, the show up all its darkness and bleakness and give word and sound to a year and time that will remain with us even after its gone. Just like Soul Grip will remain with us now that they’re gone. Good music always does that. Awesome music makes us aware of these changes inside of us. 

post rock / math rock

India and general Asia is turning out as one of the best places to look for awesome post-rock right now. Yet another example for this is Celestial Teapot from Pune, who has just released a three-song EP that is clearly post-rock in its layout and its roots but that is simultaneously incorporating so many other bits and snippets that it transcends the usual crescendo-core or quiet-loud-structure change ideas. You will find near-AOR guitar licks, some really wonderfully incorporated synth-passages and even some close-to-hardcore drumming parts – on the first track alone! The quintet is able to follow up to its full-length predecessor “One Big Sky” with a short EP (three tracks in 18 minutes) that will probably hit a mark within the post-rock community. The reason is simple that the band is able to (seemingly) effortlessly incorporate so many other genres that one can only categorize it under “Mathy Post-Rock” because they show the same ability to switch paces, moods, styles within a matter of seconds. The conceptual layout of the record is also very interesting as it deals with hearing problems and what it means to one’s life having to face these problems; how hearing things differently (up to the point where it causes physical pain to hear a something that “is” wrong) or how people who cannot hear (or lose their hearing abilities) have a very different quality of life resulting in a real fear of being able to hear. These ideas are shared in songs like “Misophonia” or “Defgain” - and most of the time they are shared instrumentally, as only one track features spoken word samples. Celestial Teapot deliver a short but thoughtful, cleverly arranged and mighty ingenious work of post-rock that you should really give a listen!

gothic / trip hop

TripHop is a genre that often plays with the future – Gaia Guarda uses it as a basis for her Gothic inspired music whose base features three very old instruments: The cello, the violin and the harp. Montreal-based Gaia plays the harp while Michelle and Jessica (who play with Gaia in the metal band Uriel) contribute the other two. Together with drummer Rocky Gray she wrote a record that is as much looking into the future, as it based in the past and reflecting the present. The combination of a classical string basis with triphop beats is not really new, strings have been used in the Bristol-sound for decades already. However, on Gaia’s debut album it is different, as the strings are not ornaments to an otherwise very beat-oriented music but as the centerpiece of it. Nevertheless, do not envision the music to be like Joanna Newsom only because of the harp – it is different and much closer to some synthpop acts like Wolfsheim or VNV Nation. Her music is at the same time classical and new – thus a good example of neo-classical music. The lyrics are often very introspective and reveal a person not rested but haunted. “I ran across the world / You won’t find me, I must survive / I can’t explain the force pushing me to never give up on you” – she is running away but at the same time doesn’t want to forget a certain person. At times, this sound like a masochistic perspective on one’s own pain and its roots. Gaia Guarda is surely a very well-trained artist to watch as she breaks down some boundaries and steps onto unknown territory, connecting the past, present and future of songwriting into a new approach to music. If she then gains a perspective (in her lyrics) outside of her own, not only “relying” on her own experience – then she can become the next big indie voice. 

psychedelic / sludge

Interstellar Smoke Records

This split by Ghost:Hello and Night Goat, both from Ohio, is like a trip back in time. The cover is a bit like those old 50s and 60s pulp fiction “books”. The sound is also like a voyage in the Delorian, back to two places – once the late 60s, early 70s when psychedelic was at its peak and once to the late 80s when noise rock was in its bloom. Interestingly, the two bands involved here each have a hold on one of these two epochs – where Ghost:Hello are a bit like the whirlwind from the Nixon-ear with a very nice fuzzy tone to their psychedelia. This trio from Akron (the town of the Black Keys) is definitely a good choice for all those whose understanding of music revolves around bands like 13th Floor Elevators, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown or Iron Butterfly but probably also on bands like Primal Scream or My Bloody Valentine. The latter two are probably like the most common denominator with fellow Ohioans Night Goat (from Canton) whose noise likely takes inspiration from those Brits too, but also of course from Jesus Lizard and Unsane. Their three songs on the flipside are much sludgier and much more aggressive but never running away without control. They attack you with their noisy riffs and thundering rhythm section, but they don’t go for the quick win, no they rather enjoy beating your ears to pieces by punching them song by song with their highly efficient noise rock. This split is one for the lovers of the sounds off the popular paths and into the underground where there is a lot of sweat from repairing the Delorian just to go back in time.

post hardcore / emo

Okay, Adam Sakauye has listened to some The Smiths and probably also some Placebo as he really sounds like a mix of Morrissey and Brian Molko (which is not the worst combination when it comes to vocals – and only vocals!) and that becomes quite obvious when listening to Ottawa’s T-Rex Marathon and their new record “Days without Incident” out since Mid-October. The band channels their post-hardcore motifs and song-structures into 10 very nicely done and well-balanced songs. Especially songs like “A Prison just for Us” are really nicely done because they show how non-aggressively gang shouts can be integrated into modern hardcore. It is a band whose musical references are bands like Alexisonfire or Silverstein and the band does not imitate those Canadian idols but rather channels their ideals and abilities when it comes to writing good midtempo hardcore songs with a message. “Faux News” for example is a good pun on Fox News and tries to show how we are manipulated by mass media whose purpose is not to deliver information but to deliver narratives. The band says the song is “punchy, energetic, focused, and provocative, the song is meant to be shouted out loud” - right they are, if you cannot shout along to this one, then you are already dead. And if there is one thing that T-Rex Marathon is not – then it’s dead. This band is very much alive and kicking. 


​Thorsten

psychedelic / shoegaze

There was always something about the sunset in California as far as I remember. It was fast but it was a kind of orange that not only pulsated because of eruptions on the surface of the sun but that seemed to resonate with life with the pumping of the blood in our veins. One might have seen the sun go down thousands of times and yet, every time it feels brilliant and perfect if you sit down and take the time to really see it. When listening to Gong Wah’s self-titled debut album, there is this very same feeling. The band from Cologne, Germany has a certain mood and radiance surrounding their tracks that makes them stand out from the mass. The music is psychedelia in a very familiar way, but there is also some post-punk and some Golden State kind of AOR. It is like a mix of 13th Floor Elevators and the Mamas and the Papas, Blondie and A Place to Bury Strangers. A lot of that has to do with the voice of Inga Nelke, who met the two guitarists Thorsten Dohle and Felix Will early 2018; the band has grown to a full quintet since then. The other element contributing to this loving feeling is the guitar sound, which is a bit like a crossover between A Place to Bury Strangers and some simple effective wah-wah sounds. You need some sunshine in your life during these cold autumn and winter days,? Gong Wah is a good choice for you.

screamo / black metal

Montreal. A thriving scene. Lots of thriving scenes. Awesome bands. LOADS of awesome bands. One example would be Cell Press. Their new five-song EP to be released at the end of the month is adding a deep and well-constructed example for modern screamo. They are not playing it safe with this 24-song-monster, whose final track takes up nearly half of the time of the whole EP (and probably one complete side of the cassingle). The first four tracks are all variants of the screamo genre, some a little more on the black metal side, some a little more on the noise side. What really brings them all together is the thoughtfulness with which they perform: Listening to the first track “Piss Police” one notices that they use the same riff as intro and as outro. Or the final track “My Son will No the Truth” which they never want to play live – it’s more of an experiment with each musician adding one layer to the song without knowing what will be added next. And all of it is based on an 11-minute solo by drummer Mark McGee, who taped the solo and on the next day each musician added his part single-handedly so that in the end the band came up with a monster of a subdued noisy ambient track that never seems to find its course. But this sheer aimlessness makes it even more intriguing. Or the third track “Black Out in Verdun” which is right in the middle between Helmet (the drumming and the bass!) and some early HydraHead bands (the vocals and the dirty, meaty riffs!) - here the band is as close to noise-core as it gets. To put it in a nutshell: Don’t miss on Cell Press!

post metal / grunge

Sea Sleeper are from Seattle, Washington and, strange as it may sound, you can hear those old, deep grunge roots in their sound, especially in the vocals shared by bassist Nick Kessler and guitarist Jess Cooley. Sometimes it’s just this special kind of Northwestern phrasing, sometimes it’s a little reminiscence to vocals by the Grunge icons Staley and Cornell, just this special kind of slighty higher intonation that is still gritty. The band plays a mix of metalcore, blackened post-metal and some sort of tech death metal. What is striking that the band and especially the rhythm section is really up to the best of the game seemingly changes paces and genres effortlessly. Shane Cooley is on point and delivering some awesome blastbeats and fine-carved work driving the songs with force and finesse. Nevertheless, it is not to be denied that the band should improve a bit on the riff-side when they really want to go pedal to the metal, because the guitar lines cannot keep up. It is all fine, when it’s midtempo and Jess can add some extra distortion but when the songs speed ahead it seems as if he can’t come up with ideas other than your regular metalcore stuff. The vocals give the new album enough of a twist to keep listening, always waiting for that next moment, when they show the influence of their home scene and when the songs exceed the 6 minute mark. “Far more than Substance Now” is a good example for that, with its nearly eight minutes and some really interesting slowdowns and middle parts. If the band follows the path this song and “Mountain Carver” show up, they will definitely gain a lot more attention with their next record. 
​
PS: Nostophobia is the fear of everything old or everything related to nostalgia. 

dream pop / emo

Planes Mistaken for Stars were/are one of the most important bands at the crossing between hardcore and midwestern emo without ever being emo-core. They released several full lengths all to critical acclaim.  Two members of the band now release a Covid-quarantine EP under the moniker Blunt Razors and via Deathwish (where PMFS also published their last full length). Gared O’Donnell and Neil Keener have collected six tracks, one being a cover of the Kate Bush song “Under Ice”. Their record is pure Midwestern magic with lots of spherical guitar lines, hushed up drums and a voice to fall to your knees to. The whole things becomes even more intimate when we remember that Gared is undergoing medical treatment for cancer. The songs show a kind of longing and wishing that it becomes hard not to fall in love with them. It’s like Cyrano watching his beloved from afar and never quite getting her attention. The last lines in “Amber Waves” are a perfect example for this: “I’m just a minute / A minute above you babe / Could you meet me /  Would you keep me / Could you give me your minutes / To drown in amber waves“. The narrator is so close to his beloved but yet there is this unbridgeable distance so that he can only dream of them being together and chase new ways. We share these moments and the duo has this ability of drawing us into the songs so much, that we do not feel like observers anymore but participants. The melodies are so delicate and the whole setting so calming and soothing that one cannot but hit repeat and repeat and repeat.


Thorsten

death metal / black metal / thrash

Dark Descent Records

Dark Descent Records is one of the most important labels in modern Death Metal, also because they are based in Death Metal Heaven aka Denver, Colorado and because they release the records of death metal megalith’s “Blood Incantation”. With the eponymous debut-EP by the relentless monster called HAD from Copenhagen they released another high quality record by a band that never forgives. HAD is Danish for “hate” and the name is definitely part of the party program. You get 20 minutes of high-octane death metal with no fresh air, no hopeful light, no sound to soothe. Speedy as hell and executing with a blunt axe but making for that lack of precision by mere violence. I think I counted one little break within the four songs and that was in the middle of the final track “Skingrer de døendes pinefulde skrig” (which translates to something like “Dispelling the tormenting cries of the Dying”) and even this little slow-down never comes close to something like doom, it’s still rather midtempo. I am pretty sure that the live shows by this outfit will be something to behold, but best to be witnessed with an oxygen mask and a little reminder that you will be allowed to leave the venue afterwards. Some members of the audience should be given that in order for them not to break down in front of such HAD and speedy masterclass craftsmanship. 

blackmetal / blackgaze

Jonathan Fraser is one of the perfect examples of how often we are led astray by our subconscious labeling of people – one would never guess that there is a black metal soul inside this very humble and gentle person. But when listening to his music it becomes clear that there are some inner demons having taken hold of this man, who together with the help of some friends recorded some wonderful blackgaze music very much in the vein of Skyforest or Numenorean. A lot of swirling, swooshing, uplifting spherical guitar-work that is happening in these songs that are perfectly contrastingly laid upon driving drums. Speaking of drums; that is something one should behold on this record: The drums are sharp and poignant but never pounding, which means, they are the force majeure on the album but never try to outperform the other instruments – signs of a good and thoughtful mix. The other, dominant instrument is, of course, the guitar, and here Fraser delivers so many brilliant moments, for example the move from high-pitched crescendos to intimate picking after a bit more than three minutes of “Empty Prayers, Hollow Gestures”. This track also leads to the motivation behind the album: the artist Jonathan Fraser wrote this for the person Jonathan Fraser, who for near-two years has been suffering from the loss of his dear mother to cancer. He even published an “EP” with “music” that was recorded alongside his mum’s dying. In the booklet one found documents to show how he experienced this slow decay; Fraser himself doesn’t even consider this a proper release but it seems to be his chronicle for those nine months. And somehow there is a connection between these records – the strong intimacy created by his work, the simplicity of some of the synth structures building upon each other, the heartfelt pain going into every hit on the keys. Jonathan is – as of now – not healthy, he probably wouldn’t even say that himself. It’s an ongoing process: learning to live on, to live again, to be again. To cope and not be ashamed of still being here. For him, this new album is the next step; for us, it is a good record to listen to. Blackgaze á la mode de 2020. 

post hardcore / black metal

Most of the time, Finland is associated with black metal or doom metal bands, also because there are brilliant examples for both genres from the land of the thousand lakes. Not very often is it associated with Post-Metal or Blackened Post-Hardcore, but Kiova from Oulu, Finland might change that. A sound that can keep up with some of the most advanced and well-known post-metal big players (think of Postvorta or Amenra, Sons of a Wanted Man or Envy) – a result of some brilliant recording and mixing, thanks to Joonas Manninen and Topon Das. The reference that comes to mind most frequently is Fall of Efrafa, as new Kiova-vocalist Janne Pussinen is able to deliver a lot of intriguing vocals including black metal screams as well as hellish growls. “JP” is the new man on the mic for the band after former vocalist Otto Eräjöki, who could be heard on the two splits from 2020 as well as on the debut EP from 2018, left the band months ago. Another feature that they share with Fall of Efrafa and other crust-bands as well is the raging speed that seems to have the drums tumble over each other and still not losing but rather gathering speed. These speed-attacks are often countered by spiraling guitars heading all the time for an ultimate crescendo. This might be the most promising newcomer on the European blackened post-hardcore scene. Keep your eyes open!

post metal / grunge

Usually, we do not cover “cover bands” or “cover albums” on Merchants Of Air; however, Magnetic Eye Records has released such an impressive list of “[Redux]” records of classic rock records lately, that we simply had to talk about it. Being an old Seattle-grunge-head the author had no alternative to choosing their version of Alice in Chains’ classic “Dirt” now re-imagined in complete by some of the finest in all of post-metal: Thou, Khemnis, 16 or The Otolith to mention just a few. In some ways, this approach is very similar to the style of “Robotic Empire” who did some cover albums for Nirvana’s three full-lengths (by the way, Thou were also part of all of those cover albums, maybe they are just into showing off their roots). Special about this record is certainly the fact that the bands really pay homage to the originals by not trying to alter them too much, they mostly clad them in a new sound scaffolding. The basis and walls are still the very same, but the production of these songs is now fresher and more direct. It becomes obvious how powerful these songs are, how unbreakable the songwriting was, how remarkably well they hold up. The highlights are certainly the new version of “Rooster” by Howling Giant (now less of a soul classic and a stronger emphasis on the riffs and less on the choir) and “Would?” by The Otolith (now with female vocals creating a completely new, less-despaired atmosphere) but as the originals are so mind-blowing, so are these cover-versions. If you want to buy one covers-album this year, this would be my recommendation!

death metal

Blood Harvest

Once again a great release by Swedish death powerhouse Blood Harvest. They accumulate four awesome death metal bands – each with a distinctively own style – on this four-way split. Chasm of Aeons first of all really impresses with its stylish high-class artwork, that reminds one of The Sword’s “Warp Riders” and the Blood Incantation space-themed covers. Then the assembly of bands: Cryptic Shift, who showed all their might and strength on their Blood Harvest-debut earlier this year, New Brunswick’s very own Replicant and Cleveland’s pride Inoculation flex their muscles and Astral Tomb from Denver (see first review above) finish this 19-minute massacre. Cryptic Shift do not disappoint with their track “Cosmic Dreams” and neither do Replicant or Inoculation, but the highlight is definitely Astral Tomb’s “Transcendence from the Mortal Plane (Guided by Familiar Phantasm)” (that title!!!!) because of its rowdy, feisty, biting and scratching noise intro, by a drum kit that intentionally is completely out of tune and trash to the max – if Slipknot ever made real tech death metal, this is what it would sound like. There is even a moment of tribal drumming in these five minutes. Accompanied by an awesome solo and a lot of noisy guitars, there is no better ending for an awesome split than this one. There is no I in team, there is also no I on this split. All blends perfectly together from Cryptic Shift’s ´near-classic-rock´-track (the solo!!!) to Astral Tomb’s cat in heat-noise-tech-death!


​Thorsten

doom / post metal

I will admit to having a bit of a crisis of confidence lately. I’ve always struggled with my self-confidence. For a long time whilst thinking of how to start this review, I was sat in front of my laptop with a virgin white page and the dreaded flashing curser, umm, flashing away. Then I pressed play on the album I was going to review, to refresh my memory, and the writing took a back seat to the mesmerizing sounds coming out of my speakers, which made me think about the power of music. In these strange times we find ourselves in, music is more important now than it has ever been in helping people through these tough weeks and months. It has an amazing capacity to elicit emotions which can even sometimes help turn around the worst of days.

Anyway, apologies for the laboured intro, but the album which helped me out of that particular mental pit I found myself in was the latest LP from Flanders, Belgium alumni BRIQUEVILLE, titled Quelle. This is the third album from the mysterious five piece (they even practice with their golden death masks on apparently!) All the songs the band have released to date follow on from each other. The first 4 acts from their debut album were Akte I to Akte IV then the second album contained Akte V to Akte VII.

The band play a meandering, often repetitive, mostly instrumental blend of post metal, atmospheric sludge, ambient soundscapes and much more in a churning brew of sound. Things kick off with Akte VIII which starts with ominous keyboards before adding layers of fuzzy guitars in an almost groovy style. Akte IX follows upping the ante with regards to heavy guitars immeasurably. It’s a purposeful juggernaut of a song which flattens all before it with it’s down tuned chugging guitars and aided admirably by some spooky electronic elements. 

Post metal has always been about contrasts, the contrast between heavy and mellow, light and dark and the next song, the immense Akte X is one which showcases everything great about the genre. It is a near 15-minute slab of atmosphere. The song starts with eerie electronic ambience which would not sound out of place in a horror film. This is then slowly added to by delicately picked guitar notes and a gentle drum tap, the guitar gradually increases in intensity ending with fairly quick picking, this build up then suddenly falls away and a huge wall of chugging guitars is unleashed and it’s a glorious release of pent up emotion. It’s wonderful and is the standout track of the album.

The rest of the album follows the template laid out on the first half of the album, indeed if there is any criticism of this album it’s that the second half does not hold the attention in quite the same way as what proceeded it, which isn’t to say it’s not great because it is, it just it never reaches the gargantuan heights of the first half, although saying that, Akte XII is a towering slice of sludgy monolithic bombast with a palpable feeling of dread and is magnificent. 

So, to sum up, this album has more electronic elements than the previous albums and this has added to its heft. It’s a towering album of atmosphere punctuated by monolithic slabs of noise. It’s a heady recipe and one which this band have perfected with this release. It is a hypnotic, repetitive, atmospheric monstrous concoction of sounds which should appeal to anyone with a passing interest in heavy alternative music. Highly recommended. 


​Simon

post metal / doom / sludge

It is always interesting to look at records as a whole – the way their dynamics flow and how the arrangements influence the tension the listener is feeling. With Ba’al’s new record “Ellipsism” this is definitely very worthwhile as the band from Sheffield, UK, is very adapt at using rhythmic changes to affect us. 

When listening to the first song and its thunderous start with loads of black metal-like screaming and swirling guitar lines, the first impression is “Oh, another black metal record!” - but then towards the middle of that first song they take their feet off of the gas pedal and give way to something else.

A new openness changes the song very much towards post-metal and even hints at a harsh form of post-rock. Initial reaction: “Oh, looks who’s hiding something up their sleeves!” The quintet is able to change the mood very carefully with well-tuned small yet effective segments and interludes. This movement in the first song is like a symbol for the structure and arrangement of the whole record as it becomes “quieter and quieter”. However, do not worry, Ba’al do not turn the thing into singer-songwriter acoustic guitar campfire songs. This is still blackened post-metal in the vein of bands like Agalloch or Downfall of Gaia. 

The only remaining question is to find out the intention – and here the name of the record comes into play. “Ellipsism” is the inner “sadness that you’ll never be able to know how history will turn out, that you’ll dutifully pass on the joke of being alive without ever learning the punchline”. Well taking this into account it becomes clear why the record slowly evolves from a hurricane to a lament. The initial rage at the inability to know what lies ahead, what comes after death, is giving way to a more inner, introspect repentance of it all. Therefore, the musical passage from a black-metal infused post-metal towards more post-rock, from overwhelming fear to melancholic giving in makes total sense. And that again is reflected in the listener, because one does not have any kind of closure or suture, it simply is never granted. One has to live with the fact that one cannot know. “Oh my, oh my.”

This inability makes the whole thing even sadder and more depressing. The final track “Rosalia” is the perfect way to end an album not centered around loss itself but losing yourself, losing your life, losing hope. Hecate Enthroned-vocalist Joe Stamps is able to lift the song up with all the anger he can muster in the middle of the track for a final aggressive motion before slow near-thrash like guitar lines and the queen of sadness, the strings (cello and violin), bring the track back to its calm-before-the-end melancholy. It’s like following a hero to his hanging thinking that he cannot see his girlfriend ever again for some strange reason and then dying with this internal conviction. The saddest part then is – to see her running around the counter watching him two seconds after his final breath. 

“Ellipsism” might not be the most inventive blackened post-metal record of the year, but it is a good full-length debut for the quintet from the Midlands after two EPs. Last year’s “Reverence” was already a good hint at what might follow and this full-length will not disappoint fans of Downfall of Gaia, Sons of a Wanted Man of Inter Arma as they are able to give us a convincing debut. 


​Thorsten

post metal / doom

We were on a family walk the other day and whilst talking to our son, we got talking about him missing school. I remarked “you are going to look back on this period as a pivotal moment in history” he just looked at me as if I had a cow-pat on my head and continued scooting along. This got me thinking about points of view. He didn’t care for the life lesson I was trying to impart, whereas I thought it was interesting. Some people love music, others don’t really care for it. Not caring for music really strikes me as an odd thing. Anyway, enough of my inane ramblings, lets get stuck into today’s offering shall we and see what the world of music has brought to my door today. Todays choice is the self-titled debut from Ikarass, and oh boy, it’s rather good.

Ikarass are a post metal band from Durange in Spain, and this is their debut album. Starting with gently strummed guitars on ‘Guided by Greed’ this soon explodes into life with mammoth percussion, soul bearing screamed vocals and truly titanic bass grooves. This continues until collapsing into itself around the 6-minute mark and the band let their gentler side of things take a front seat. Things continue in a similar vein with next song ‘Blood Heaven’ which starts with some downtuned bass before the music again ignites in furious fashion with a musical peak which invariably finds itself falling back down into calmer territory. This give and take, the push and pull of the music is what gives most of this album it’s power. The rest of the album follows the template laid down by the first couple of songs, in fact, if any criticism can be levelled at this album (and this really is nit picking) it is that things rarely deviate from the musical tapestry woven into the first few songs. This is no bad thing though when the songs are as expertly crafted and as powerful as this. 

So, how does this album make me feel? Well, music like a lot of things depends on mood, time of day, company and indeed any number of myriad things which are hard to quantify. Saying that though, the sounds produced here throw me through the ringer. It shakes it’s fist in my face whilst spraying venom everywhere, and then, it sits me down over a drink and asks if I feel ok whilst still trying to process what has proceeded this act of benevolence. What it boils down to, basically, is that this album makes me feel alive!

Comparisons to post metal titans Amenra are bound to follow this band as they do sound quite similar, but they have enough about them to set themselves apart from their peers. The vocals are particularly pained, they sound tortured and fit the music perfectly. Ikarass do enough to stand out in a crowded field though and if you are a fan of post metal music or extreme music in general, you will find a LOT to like here, this is a fantastic album. 

​Simon

post rock / post metal

2020 is probably the most interesting year since the second world war. Not only do we have a deadly health-crisis to deal with, there are riots, Black Lives Matter protests and global warming, plus we all seem to be stuck with a bunch of people who lack the one body part pictured on the cover of the new Wayward Bound album. But enough about politicians, let's just jump to the one thing that actually makes this year worth staying alive for: music. Let's face it, these troubled times have caused an avalanche of new music, certainly from one-man projects who suddenly had a lot of time on their hands. Belgian post rock act Wayward Bound is one them.

'The Denihilist' is David's third album as Wayward Bound and it's a smasher. Opener 'In Niz Bogzarad' easily grabs the listener's attention with pulsating basses. The track gradually evolves into a classic Wayward Bound track, heavily inspired by post rock and post metal but also nudging towards the thrash metal scene with its heavy riffs and pounding drums. In no time you'll be either shaking your ass or banging your head. Not only that, fans of progressive rock might also enjoy this stuff. Title track 'The Denihilist' is one of those instant classics and instantly recognizable tracks where you say "Hey, this is Wayward Bound, awesome". And then there is the jolly and plucky 'The History Of Fish', which serves as an intermezzo and a smile in these dark days, or something like that.

I think it's no surprise when I say that 'One Step At A Time' is my personal favorite here. This massive post rock anthem was composed for the soundtrack of the book 'I Do Not Want This' and rightfully made the album. Personally, I think this is Wayward Bound at his very best, containing the most impressive ending this act has ever composed. 'Turn The Tide' is another favorite. It's one of those tunes you'd want to add to your playlist while driving the open road. The only downside is: we'll probably never going to be able to witness all this post-rock splendor live. I've said it before and I'll say it again, David needs a live band and an audience.

'Tear Down The Waltz' is not only the most brilliant song title on this album, it's also a mindbending piece of music, one that shows a one-man act slowly perfecting its trade. Once again: this might cause some headbanging activity and some butt-shakery. Hell, the apotheosis of this track might even cause a little moshpit in your living room. that's how exciting and exhilarating this album really is. 'Human Instrumentality' and 'Public Isolation Booth' were great post rock/metal albums but 'The Denihilist' easily tops those. It feels more serious, convincing and immersive. So yeah, post rock fans, get your money ready. You'll need this...


​Serge

sludge / doom / post metal

English noise-mongers Wren signed with the highly acclaimed label Gizeh Records for the third chapter in their seasonal lore exploration. The journey which started in 2017 now continues with six new tracks, six brute monsters, armed with doomed out riffs, fierce vocals and an impending atmosphere. 

Although it would be easy to just throw Wren into the sludge doom scene, these Londoners have a few neat surprises up their sleeves. Of course, the majority of the music on 'Groundswells' is a collection of sludgy post metal, perfectly suited for fans of everything between AmenRa and Isis, but listen closely and you'll be amazed.

The whole thing begins with 'Chromed'. No intro, no warning message, just a bombardment of gritty riffs, methodical drums and frightening screams. But then there is the noisy aspect of the whole thing. At one point into this track I found myself thinking "this could be what happens when Sonic Youth and Melvins cover Conan". 'Seek the Unkindred' follows that example and raises the level of intensity to near-death metal levels. After that, it's time for one of my favorite tracks here, the noise-rock induced 'Murmur', basking in dissonance, brutality and a hardcore in-your-face attitude. 

I mentioned the word "surprises" in the beginning of this review and on 'Subterranean Messiah' they show themselves in a glorious way. While most of the tracks are ferocious sludge doom tunes, this one drags the whole thing into the post metal scene. Gloomy guitars, ambient soundscapes and post-rock atmosphere deliver an absolute stunner of a track. Jo Quail and FVNERALS also appear here, which is a perfect explanation for this sudden change of direction. Nonetheless, this is a brilliant track and a breath of fresh air after the sonic violence earlier in the album.

The other tracks are up to you to discover. If you're a fan of any of the bands I mentioned in this review, or a fan of Wren, or merely a fan of being beaten to death by riffs, drums and screams, you should pre-order the hell out of this thing. 


​Serge

post punk

Everybody who witnessed a concert by Cologne Black-Metal-masters Ultha knows that this was more than an assembly of musicians who work for a common goal, or a common sound. It was a kind of vision of what music should be able to do – including helping its human sources get rid of some feelings. Music from the heart and for the heart – if you want to find out more about that check out “The Inextricable Wandering”. Now two of the Ultha -boys have founded a new band called Ropes of Night and the quintet has published their first EP in mid-May via Golden Antenna Records. This is not black metal but glorious post-punk and thus it follows Ralph’s love for that glorious early 80s sound that was driven and melancholic, dark and stellar at the same time. All of this can also be heard on this self-titled debut 7inch. “Halo Cage” is a bit like Joy Division bit with more grit and bit and really takes off into one’s ear canal never to leave it for quite some time. “Faith” is a bit noisier and has a kind of shoegazey feeling to it, which might be a bit like Jesus and Mary Chain. Charming is the voice of vocalist Tatjana who sounds like an 80s pop idol on the right side of the musical spectrum. Both tracks could be leftovers from any of the good ole days when music like this was steaming hot and before it was turned into the poppy mess called New Wave or New Romantics. If you only want blastbeats and screaming, then forget about Ropes of Night; but if you liked Ultha for the underlying emotional darkness – this is your new go-to-band. They have that certain something “more”.

post metal / black metal

For a long time now, lots of metal and post-metal bands have been proclaiming their love for the Deftones as they were the one band amongst the NuMetal-wave of the late 90s that had a more diverse sound. This influence can also be heard when listening to the self-titled debut by Endless Forms Most Gruesome from Finland. The duo consisting of Ghost Brigade’s Manne Ikonen and mastermind Juuso Raatikainen (Swallow the Sun) plays a harsh, blackened kind of post-metal that fits very well to this day and age as they are afraid to first run over the listener: Opening track “Black Hole” sounds more like Full of Hell collaborating with KK Null in all its direct, noisy attack. But after this quick clearing of space in the audience’s ears they spread their filthy, yet sometimes experimenting post-metal. And here the Deftones definitely come into play: EFMG are not as groovy as the usual NuMetal-clones but they rather make use of the Sacramentonians’ experiments with sending singular guitar lines through the songs. This way, the Deftones were able to incorporate a kind of soulfulness and lightness into their sound which EFMG also tries to establish. Or they use some gentle picking over a soft string arrangement in “Free Fall from Womb to Grave” just before they riff their way through the rest of the song and show Juuso’s roots in doom metal. A promising debut in all its low-tuned, upwards-thinking, lyrically-miserable glory. 

punk / death metal / black metal

Karloff from Oldenburg, Germany have listened to some Stooges and Blue Cheer, but also some classic old school death metal stuff or stuff like Bathory. The punk thing is the first thing that strikes, listen to “Fright Fever” for example. High speed octane stuff, very much like New Bomb Turks or Turbonegro with a drummer releasing his inner Animal – remember the Muppets? But that would indicate a certain non-committing to their own ideals which is definitely wrong because Karloff is not one of these Motley Crue wannabe-bands. The guys from Northern Germany take their music seriously and that is probably the biggest difference to guys like Hank Van Helvete, they are no novelty act. The blackened vocals show despair and often blend seem like a mix of classic early hardcore shouters and black metal singers, sometimes even being close to thrash metal.  The excellent riffing and precision make for a force to be reckoned with. 

shoegaze / doom

Lyon, France is known to be a tasteful town. With newcomers Hadewijch a new chapter seems to be added to the former culinary capital of the world. One that doesn’t known boundaries or limitations – at least, not many. It’s not that they seem to have no musical boundaries, because they do perform within the frame of doomy post-metal. But they seem to have a very open-minded mindset as they want to show the possibilities of musically transcending the bodily realms, just like a good herbal therapy. This can also be noticed when listening to their debut-EP which is one, single track – but 19 minutes long. In that time, you can hear a lot of doomy but also noisy shoegaze elements that will help you find some positive vibes for your life. You might hear some Neurosis or My Bloody Valentine, to give you an idea that might push the comparisons a bit too far. The trio is not yet on the level of the bands mentioned, but they are quite good and for a debut, this is promising quite a lot. It will be interesting to see with which noise they follow their herbal and musical theory; nevertheless, they give you one more reason to think highly of the tasty town Lyon.

Thorsten

post metal / doom

A change of musical direction. Those few simple words can strike fear into most music fans hearts. Especially if that band has built up a fan base because of the style of music that the band play. So, when an established band release an album which has ‘a change of musical direction’ this can be a scary thing. One of the things which can happen in this instance is that it alienates the very people who liked the band in the first place, and they stop listening to that band, this is quite sad and in my view a very narrow way of looking at music in general. The other way it can go, is that people embrace the change with an  open mind and find things in the particular album on which to hang their hat, as chances are, if they like the band in the first place, there will be something in there which reminds them why they liked the band in the first place. Obviously, this is quite a simple way of looking at things and I’m aware there is a lot of nuance in any change, but in my experience, people are very weary of change in general, let alone something in which they are deeply invested.

All of which is a very long-winded way of saying that today’s album Siderael Pt. One by Italian post-metal/sludge metallers Post Vorta is a very different album from the one that I was expecting., thanks to those 5 words I mentioned earlier.

We are eased into the change quite gently and lead song Through 4k lenses starts with an ominous sounding piano, so far so metal. That is until an enchanting female voice rings out together with burst of flutes and swirling choral chants in the background. It’s fleeting, unnerving, and yet intriguing. The song builds on its emotional investment as the drums come crashing in creating a strong uplifting quality at the end of the song. It’s altogether less metal but still has elements of post-rock in there.

Next song Viper builds the ambience with a simple drum line to start things off. The gorgeous female vocals again give the song an ethereal, gentle feel, but they are tinged with a distinct undercurrent of foreboding. The electronic elements are much more to the fore in this song which builds to a nice mid song explosion before collapsing into a glitchy electronic ambient section. It’s very nicely done.

Following song Spoon feel like the electronica soundscapes introduced on the previous songs are now a much more prominent part of the band’s sound, in fact, you’d be hard pressed to even think of this as listening to a traditional band at all as the songs from this point on are almost exclusively synth driven in a style so prevalent at present. 

From then on, the songs all fully embrace the synthwave tendencies and shrug off any notion of metal whatsoever. That’s not to say that the songs are poppy with a light touch, far from it in fact, I found it to be quite the opposite and the songs all have the heavy music stylings of trying to convey the darker emotions of the human psyche.
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So, it’s a change of musical direction alright but this has brought about a rather pleasant surprise. If you are put off by the fact that the band no longer play heavy music (whether this is a permanent departure remains to be seen) then you are doing yourself a disservice in passing over what is a rather great album, indeed, I’m not usually one for synthwave but I found myself really liking this album a lot, so, try it for yourself, you may be nicely surprised by what you uncover.


Simon