post metal / blackgaze / space rock

It's a heart-warming thing to see bands who are struggling to survive in this current climate, turn their attention to those battling with something that unfortunately, can't be fixed by a laboratory made vaccine, or a quick jab in the arm. Mental health is a constant day to day struggle for so many and any way of highlighting this has to be commended. So hats off to “post-everything” newcomers Agvirre and “space-rock's” Dead Cosmonauts who are releasing their forthcoming split single titled "Eye Of Mirrors", presented on a very unique 8" vinyl courtesy of Sheffield's "Do It Thissen Records".

The double-A sided split single is now available as a digital download on their respective Bandcamp stores, with all proceeds going to MIND mental health charity. Pre-orders for a very special limited lathe cut 8" vinyl with a double-sided sleeve will commence on April 2nd, so that's a nice piece of memorabilia to have for all those vinyl enthusiasts out there (myself included).

So, to the two tracks that have been released. Manchester's Agvirre release "The Letting Go", and have created a swirling and uplifting slice of blackened, grunge-infused high octane “black-gaze” that unfolds into a fierce and relentless wall of sound. The clever addition of the violin along with chanting and harmonised vocals only adds to the atmosphere and perfectly compliments the “shoe-gaze” dominated vibes. A torrent of blast-beats with double bass thuds and intense, high pitched screams complete the cacophony of fury and power. Its fresh uplifting and brings to mind the brilliance of Show Me A Dinosaur's "Plantgazer" album.  I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye on future releases from these guys. A terrific track.

Sheffield based Dead Cosmonauts take a daring and very successful stab at Vangelis' iconic Blade Runner (End Credits) theme and transform it into a crazy, psychedelic, post-rock trip. Patience is rewarded with this slow-burner of a track. Warm, textured interludes bring way to explosive guitars and crashing drums to create a futuristic and sci-fi inspired journey. Lead guitars scream and soar while the bass and rhythm guitars keep it all pinned down to the earths surface. A lot of layers and sounds are squeezed into the eight minutes running time, but it all sounds clean, airy and space-like. Re-imagining classic themes isn't an easy thing to do, but this is solid, memorable and shows the talent and creativity Dead Cosmonauts have in their arsenal. Well done guys.

Hopefully, everybody Will listen and ultimately purchase this digital download, and consider the vinyl to go with it, I know I certainly will. Congratulations to both Agvirre and Dead Cosmonauts on bringing the fight on mental health to the forefront. 

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Pat O'

post metal / progressive metal / black metal

Raljarn are certainly an intriguing prospect. A one-man project from Russia, we’re promised “A cold conceptual” dose of ‘Post, Math & Black’ metal with lyrics inspired by “myths, shamanic stories and mysticism” amongst other themes on Practicing Death, which is Raljarn’s first album after a number of sporadic singles. Dan Mikalchenko handles the instrumentation and lyrical concepts on the record and vocals are supplied by several guests. It’s a bold project to undertake, does it deliver on the promise?
The answer is Yes and No: Practicing Death sometimes adds up to the sum of its many parts. At its strongest it’s a devastating listen; within individual tracks we have multiple twists and turns, grinding riffs at odds with clean picked passages, blasts, syncopated beats, sparse synths, echoing guitars and a crystal-clear production which takes us undoubtedly toward the unforgiving cold North. There’s an emotionless quality to the bulk of the material in the delivery and although there is a wide range of influences, at heart this is very much a metal record with a distinct absence of any uplifting quality in any great quantity. As the release is digital only, I would’ve liked to pour over the lyrics to get the full experience, which is a shame as I feel it is an integral part of Raljarn’s presentation.

“North Omen” opens proceedings and immediately brings me to one of the records major flaws - the varying quality of the vocal delivery. With four vocalists on board, I had the impression that perhaps there would be four distinctly different takes on the material, but they are all more alike if anything. Artem Sergeev aside, I found I had to consistently check the credits to verify which vocalist I was listening to. Resemblances by the by, there’s a couple of falters and in occasional places the approach lets the material down a bit. Sergeev provides sublime vocals on each of his tracks – equally capable and effective whether using clean or harsh tones, there is much more the feel of a journey on each of these  in terms of crafting of the songs, culminating with “Metahuman” which is hands down the standout moment on the album. In fact, if any of the words here have inspired curiosity – this is the song to check out. It’s got the best of what Raljarn can offer in one fully realised package, the crescendo of the song is brilliant, opening up like something off Fear Factory’s excellent Genexus album, accompanied by a simplistic Type O-Negative style lead providing an extra hook. It’s completely crushing and leaves you wishing there were more moments like this on the album.

With Practicing Death’s zenith behind us, the rest of the record proves to be much more of a mixed bag, sometimes with diminishing returns. Galeb Shashkov returns to deliver a much more assured performance on “Posthuman”. “Whilst Darkhuman” and “DeadHuman”, although somewhat effective in places, start to retread to already covered ground, especially the latter. Dan’s guitar effect over the refrain of “DeadHuman” is ill-judged and borders on the gimmicky, taking us a million miles away from the arctic environment we previously occupied.
A final small piece of critique must be reserved for the drums: There is no drummer listed on the credits so (I stand to be corrected but) they sound programmed, whilst the tone and placement are right on the money and pack serious punch it does seem like the same patterns reappear across the record, leading to a (perhaps unfair) feeling of familiarity. Maybe this is part of Dan’s vision to have a kind of mechanical coldness from the rhythm section, but it causes the latter half of the record to lag somewhat. 

Dan Mikalchenko is a fantastic musician and as I said at the beginning, Raljarn is intriguing: Sonically and conceptually he has an incredibly clear vision for the project and thus has delivered a record which must be judged by the high standards he himself has set. I urge you to keep Raljarn on your radar, Practicing Death is a very solid foundation but for now it is just that. Raljarn’s best is yet to come. 


​Greg

post rock / post metal

Well, I must admit to being very glad that January is now over. Even on the scale of terrible months since lockdown started, January takes the prize for most depressing month. I sincerely hope this review finds each and every one of you as well as you can be, better days are ahead folks, hang in there, we will get through this together. 
I find myself becoming increasingly dependent on the need for the comforting nature of music these days. I know I bang on about it all the time, but there is something inherently cathartic about listening to something which makes you feel good. Todays offering which has gone some way towards helping me through the overly moribund nature of January, has been the new album by Wolfredt. 

Wolfredt are a post-rock band based in Tallinn, Estonia which started life as a one-man bedroom outfit as an outlet for the creative tendances of Margus Voolpriit. With the latest album Tides, Margus realised that to properly realise the full dynamics and ideas he wanted, he would need extra musicians to help with the delivery, and so we have this album made by a 4-piece band. Let’s take a look into what they have created.

The songs on this album generally fall into the heavier side of post-rock, sometime diving into post-metal territory but use pulsating electronics which enhance rather than stifle, they make heavy use of dynamics and distortion to tell the tale of the endless cycle of life, with all of the ebbs and flows that entails. 

Album opener The Flood is, in my opinion, quite an odd choice for the first song. It’s quite heavy in a way the rest of the album isn’t. It’s also very dense and doesn’t really unpack its secrets on the first listen. Repetition and layering are the order of the day but buried beneath that are a surprising amount of melody and texture which rewards close attention as it’s not apparent on first play through (at least not to me anyway).  

Next track Walrus Song is all about the rhythm section, which locks into step and gives the track energy and drive. It does also have a splendid guitar lick throughout though, so there is that. The whole song keeps building and adding more distortion and layers until, like a crashing wave, the music breaks apart, crashes back into itself then breaks apart all the while building into a roaring finale which is powerful and quite cathartic. The next few songs continue with the ebb and flow which the band convey so well. The band show a great tendency for technical looping and repetition laced with flashes of emotional ambience. The song The forgotten Man is a great example of post rock done as it should, it’s initial clean guitar picked intro draws you into a cosy embrace. Before flowering into a full band offering with unexpected and glorious use of the trumpet and a meaty finale which hits like a truck, it’s a real triumph.

I must also pay special attention to final song The Ebb. This song takes us on a real journey, it’s a churning, bubbling song full of twisting melodies and guitar passages hidden just under the surface, its tapestry of distorted guitar hides an intensity which seems just out of reach. It’s beguiling and is exemplary song craft, a real highlight of the album and a grand way to finish the album.
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Overall, the whole album manages to get across exactly what the band are trying to convey, and the song writing is a real achievement. I can’t see this album leaving my album playlist any time soon and would not be surprised to see this album on a few end of year lists, it’s that good. I would not hesitate to recommend this to anyone interested in post-rock music, and the way it’s written means that it should appeal to quite a broad spectrum of music lovers as well. Quite simply, it’s very, very good indeed. 


Simon

post rock / post metal

My album of the year back in 2019, which seems a lifetime ago now, was “The Last Second” by Their Methlab. It was like a breath of fresh air to me at the time. Its was bursting at the seams with groove, swagger and psychedelia. It took a giant step outside the box, and then took another few.

So, I must admit I was licking my lips with the news that Their Methlab were releasing a mini EP (It’s basically just two tracks!). Enter “Tsunami”.  After my first listen I was in a state of euphoric confusion. This wasn’t a sequel to the “The last second”, or even bonus tracks from 2019. It consisted of two pieces they wrote a long time ago, at a time when they dabbled, and were greatly influenced, by a more metal inspired sound.

First up is the track, “Venice”, an old-school, high octane anthem that hits you with thunderous force and energy.  It has the signature “Their Methlab” guitar tone, but this is a no frills, guitar chugging, drum pounding jamming session. It's dripping in energy and intent , and has that feel good vibe I got from the likes of Pijn and Conjuror’s “High Spirits”. It draws on your energy reserves and just keeps on taking.  This is music played for the love of playing the music, and wearing your influences on your sleeves. 

There is an excerpt entitled “Demons!” nestled in between the two tracks, which seems to take some old horror movie passage, put a twist on it, and cleverly use it as an intro to the second and final track. 

“Dremel” kicks off like most songs end, with those big grand finale, arm swirling riffs. However things quickly shift and the tone begins to develop a “Tool-esque” groove that has that incredibly catchy off kilter beat to it. The song continues to build and opens into a flurry of sound and speed, teleporting me back to the days of the classic thrash metal bands with their never-tiring speed and intensity. The track leaps back and forth from lead guitar highs  to chaotic riffs and monstrous drums and then an abrupt end.
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With only two songs to speak of, some may say it’s not worthy of a review, but for the energy and enjoyment that these tracks give, everybody needs a bit of “Tsunami” in their everyday life. It may also give you a reason to check out their previous release “The Last Second”, a decision you will not regret. I’m already looking forward to  what these guys conjure up next because they certainly have the imagination and creativity in abundance. Watch this space!.


Pat O'.

post metal / ambient

Have you ever experienced a time when you are drawn to an album for the first time and it’s not by the music, because you have yet to hear it?  You find yourself pulled in by either the thought-provoking artwork, or it may be the unsettling album title that has struck a chord with you. It's that feeling of warmth and excitement that sweeps over you when you finally sit down and bask in the glory of what tweaked your curiosity, and proved a masterstroke. This album gave me all of that.

The sombre, bleak and misty photograph along with the downcast album title had me captivated immediately. I love my music melancholic and emotive, dark and almost uncomfortable. I found that in this release by Felperc, an artist who hails from Vienna, Austria. He informed me that Inspiration was channeled from the music of Yndi Halda and that alone was enough justification to spend a dark winters evening in the company of this album.

"Five Stages of Grief" is a concept album, and a soundtrack to how we come to terms with something we all must face at some stage in our lives, Loss.  The opening track and the first of five stages is “Denial”. It begins with a slow subdued intro, with a sullen beat and forlorn keys, gradually building with the introduction of delicate guitars and moody bass. It slowly gathers momentum until the first crescendo cascades in and overwhelms you with soaring guitars and crashing drums.

Stage two – “Anger” has the same structure as “denial”, but the build-up has more aggression and tension, just as the title suggests. It’s still pouring out emotion and melancholy, but with a bit more intent. This music is truly elevating. Even through such a dark and often taboo theme, there’s something incredibly uplifting and comforting in its delivery here. 

Stage three – “Bargaining” begins with lush guitar picking, and a prominent bass line that takes the lead and drives the music to that all so familiar crescendo. However, it’s the warmth and honesty in the melody that sets it apart. Swirling guitars, heavy bass licks and rapid firing drums fill the air and see out the track.

Stage 4 – “Depression” begins with a distorted bass chord played over some clean guitar melodies, and is soon joined by a myriad of drums. Pace gathers and resounding drums begin to race along at speed, creating a moment where the music just let's go and doesn't follow structure. This album is so well thought out and executed that it almost becomes a story. You become entranced and deeply immersed in it.

Stage five – “Acceptance” is the mind finally accepting things as they are, and somehow finding comfort and solace, This track is all of that. The guitars are calm and serene like a passage taken from "Old Solar's" album "See". Then music pauses....and restarts with a glint of positivity on the horizon, a slight shift in thinking, that conjures up this great wall of sound that lifts the spirit with its soaring guitars and elevates the listener to one last glorious moment before, alas, the music fades out into the far distant light. The sorrow remains but it's not all as dark as it once was. 
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Felperc has a huge discography, and I must admit, I have yet to delve into his world fully. This album simply resonated with me at first glance while roaming through Bandcamp, and I’m so glad I got the chance to hear it and feel it. Many bands out there are doing this style of music like Sleep Dealer and April Rain. Its emotive, heartfelt, instrumental post rock and there’s definitely a time and place for it. There are so many great artists out there to be discovered, it's just that sometimes you just need to do a little bit of rummaging to find the gems.


Pat O

shoegaze / post metal

Not so long ago, one-man bands consisted of one person playing a guitar walking around with a base drum strapped to their back whilst occasionally playing a harmonica which was attached to their heads. It was slightly amusing, yet some folk got very good at it, still, it was quite a niche thing. Anyhow, fast forward a few years and nowadays, with the advent of home recording and mixing software, a lot more people can get in on the act. Like most things, some are better than others. Unsurprisingly considering my laboured into, todays offering is a one-man multi-instrumentalist from Verrona, Italy who goes by the moniker Black Kalmar Skull with his latest album To All Whom I Loved.

Opening song Summer is a great introduction to the album. The first thing which strikes me is the jangly guitar tone, it’s very reminiscent of 90’s indie pop, think of the guitar tone in The La’s and you are not far off. The guitars skip along over a poppy drum beat which sounds like an intriguing mix of 90’s indie pop and Alcest at their lightest. The heartfelt lyrics match the mood of the song perfectly and its dreamy escapism is done to a fantastic degree. 

Second song No One Else again has a dreamy shoegaze sound. The vocals are buried quite far into the mix but have an ethereal sound and the hook laden chorus takes the listener soaring away into the stratosphere. 

Two Birds introduces some heavier elements into the mix which starts with a much heavier guitar part, but this soon morphs into the established catchy shoegaze sound from the first couple of songs. It’s a welcome variation and is well thought out and serves to highlight the melancholic vocals perfectly. Indeed, there are a few times these heavier elements crop up during the album and they are always fit the songs perfectly, the intro to the song ‘Straight Line’ is a great example of this. I like the fact he is not afraid to rock when it’s called for.

 When it comes to the vocals, Matteo’s voice has a lovely soft crooning quality to it which matches the quality of the song writing very well indeed. After speaking to composer Matteo Iron himself about the album, he said “it is intended to convey positive emotions but at the same time be tinged with melancholy, like when you look back at memories”. He manages to convey those emotions with considerable aplomb on this album.   
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To sum up, this is a great album to listen to whilst wearing headphones gazing at the clouds and reminiscing about days gone by. Sure, it’s a little rough around the edges and the production could do with some tweaking but considering this is a one-man operation it’s bloody good. If you are in the mood for some dreamy rock which mixes various elements into a very cohesive whole then give this a go, you won’t be disappointed, very much recommended.


Simon

blackgaze / post metal

It’s a very tough time for any band to survive in the current climate, and especially without the opportunity to play live music and gigs. So, one would hope that the fallout from that would see bands and artists spending time in the studio writing and creating some aural wonders for us all to absorb. Thankfully that was definitely the case with Alpha Du Centaure. This band grabbed my attention, without any preconceived notions of their sound, or their journey in getting this album released.

This quarter from Lyon in France released Paralysis in September of last year. Prior to this, they had an EP released, entitled “La Couleur de mes rêves”, which received very positive feedback, and gave them some much needed coverage in what's a busy and saturated scene. They play a mix of “blackgaze”, “post-black” and “atmospheric post rock”. It's mature, emotive, melancholic and above all else, it's a compelling listen. And like I said, it needs to be something a bit special to gain the attention that it has.

The opening track, “Sarramauca”, with its rolling drum intro, is joined by some simple but effective rhythm guitars with a sweeping lead guitar brushing over it, before effortlessly changing tempo and transcending into a crescendo of crashing drums and chunky riffs. A memorable melody which you find humming and playing out in your head long after you’ve played it.

“Ces jours qui disparaissent” follows in a similar vein, with some quiet interludes buried in amongst some crashing blast beats and heavy haunting, wailing guitars. It's almost trance like, as you listen and soak up the atmosphere and imagery the music radiates.

The title track Paralysis is a giant of a tune, that immediately got me thinking Set and Setting, and that is a huge compliment by the way. It's bold and brash mid-tempo intro suddenly breaks into an onslaught of high hats, cow bell and cymbals with driving guitars in unison. The music is heavy, blackened and powerful and really gets the fire blazing. At over nine minutes long, there's some much-needed interludes scattered along the journey, to allow you to catch your breath for a moment or two before being hauled back into a chasm of glorious shredding, fleshy bass lines and crashing drums.

“Harmonie du soir” is a much more tranquil affair, and is a welcome comedown after the power and gallop of the first three tracks. Rich melodic guitars and calm percussions drift and meander along. Like the rest of the album, it’s crisp and clear in production, with nothing muffled or distorted.

The final third of the album tends to follows the same recipe, which is a good thing if you were as transfixed as I was on the first four tracks. Similarities will be made to other bands in this “blackgaze” and “post-black” genre such as Show Me A Dinosaur and Violet Cold, but if that's the case, Alpha Du Centaure are in very good company.

This is a very strong release, packed with energy, haunting melodies, and heavy overcast atmospheres. These guys have talent in spades. I cannot wait to hear what lies in store on their next release. Maybe some synths, occasional vocals or spoken samples might creep into the next release, and give it another dimension. It's also worth hitting their bandcamp page and grabbing a vinyl release if that’s your thing.


​Pat

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. 
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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