ambient / post rock

A Reason To Travel, is a solo project that hails from Copenhagen, Denmark. If you were to attempt to tag or label his sound, it would probably nestle itself under the covering of “Ambient Post-Rock”. His sound has been heavily influenced by the warmth and emotion that This Will Destroy You can create, and in particular “Tunnel Blanket”, and note that these are his own words!. So if you are a fan of richly layered atmospheric expanses., then this album should connect with you immediately.

"Kingdom" is his second album and It follows the journey of a new king, from the moment he takes his throne and builds his empire, until greed and corruption lead to his downfall. Musically, It’s a beautifully crafted journey and commands your full attention. It's an album for headphones, peace and privacy. It's a little safe haven for you to escape the mundane, and immerse yourself in its rich warm tapestry of sound. 

"Coronation" kicks off with a sombre marching drum beat that is joined by rich cascading soundscapes. The music is rich and layered and fills all the space. It's signalling that a great event is taking place, the crowning of a leader and the beginning of a journey.

The second track, “Fleeting bliss” begins soft and subdued, giving off a tremendous sense of calm. Its empyrean and near celestial sound tends to lend itself to Jakob's "Solace". It's beautifully textured, and flows without interruption, into the following track “Stolen Gold” with its delicate and subtle presence. 

Tracks like “Hubris” pick up the pace and delve more into the post rock genre with its lush guitar picking and its brush stroked percussions. However, there is something that binds this whole album together and it's the atmosphere that is there throughout. While each track draws up something different and distinctive, there is a mood and an aura that stays with the album from start to finish.

“They will tell stories about you” is the track that has been released early and it is a highlight for me. It begins  in soothing fashion, calm and atmospheric with restrained drums, and hazy guitars. Just when you think you're comfortable and calm, a tsunami of sound crashes in and engulfs your senses. You sit there enthralled, tightening your grip as a wall of guitars and drums immerse you. It’s a huge crashing crescendo and is one of the bigger moments in the album.

“Equinox” and “Iron skies “are warm and inviting tracks and continue the theme, with its dreamy and elysian presence. Whistling winds and calming reverbed notes create some Pink Floyd moments in the closing track, “Turmoil”.  Its slow and distorted build up, along with its rolling drums create all the drama needed to close out an album. The noise and emotion reaches fever pitch and finally explodes, leaving you elated and ultimately satisfied. Its a beautifully crafted and thought-out album and will be an instant hit with anyone who enjoys the drama and beauty the TWDY and Jakob create.  There is some fantastic merchandise accompanying this release, so be sure to check it out on Bandcamp.

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Pat O'

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'.

blackgaze / post rock

On a wet and dreary winters evening, one of lifes little pleasures is chilling out with a bottle or two of ice-cold beer and passing a few hours wandering through the vast euphonic wilderness that is Bandcamp. I tend to get lost in it every couple of months, and when I do, there’s a great sense of triumph and gratification when I unearth a band whos sound instantly clicks and has someting unique about them. Back in 2017, I came across Denmarks Nordsind, and their EP “Efterar”. 

It was an EP laden with fantastic melodies and power. I was hooked, root-and-branch, by its “blackgaze” greatness. Nordsind had something unique in their sound, something that was very distinguishable but at the same time I couldn’t quite nail it down. Either way, the vinyl was purchased and it has spent many happy days spinning its magic!. So here we are in 2021 and the great news is that a full album is due for release in March in the shape of “Lys” (Light in English). To say that I'm excited about this album is an understatement, and after listening to it on repeat all week, I can honestly say that it has delivered big time.

Before the music even begins, the first thing that will catch your eye is the heart-warming artwork of Joshua Macquary. It’s a charming and spellbinding piece that compliments the album title and concept perfectly. The opening track “Lo” kicks off proceedings with  some breezy, swirling guitars. Mid-tempo drums kick in, and the music begins to sculpt and shapes itself. Rich guitar tremolo picking and a parallel bass line fill the air with harmony and melody. As the track opens up and changes pace, the guitars continue to swirl and whip up a formidable wall of sound that  will have you on a musical high. Its a really strong opening track.

“Portræt I Skygger” crashes in with a stirring melody and dips its toe into that heavy “post black” sound without ever fully committing itself to it. It holds back just enough to whet the appetite and keep you on edge. Drums start to dominate the track and control the music until finally, the shackles fall, and you are given that powerful release you’re craving for. Double bass kicks and blast beating drums play with great force, while the guitars drive forward with that opulent and rampant “blackgaze” sound. This track really showcases the tone and resonance that Nordsind radiate. Their riffs, to me, are unmistakable.

“Når Himlen Falder, Kommer Lyset Tættere På” and “Drømmefanger” follow with all the beauty and grandeur that has already come before it. Rich emotive passages of music are interwoven with full on atmospheric crescendos. Its warm, honest and heavy. To add to the drama, some haunting and soul-stirring trumpet playing is added to the mix, creating some hair-raising moments to lose yourself in.

I remember watching these guys perform on the Vivid Festival virtual experience last year. The emotion and power in their delivery was electrifying to say the least. As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, Nordsind have something unique in their sound that I was unable to pinpoint at first. I now think it's down to their ability to create soundscapes and melodies that are natural and organic. Their music flows effortlessly, beautifully simplistic and unforced, but still decisively  harmonic. Its wholly immersive.

The track that has been released as a teaser is “Mørke” and is a strange choice on first listen. A distorted and curious intro fills the air before some sultry guitars gently serenade the listener. Watery vocal synths roll over the music and form a warm, calm ambience. There is an expectation that the pace of the track will pick up and grow into a big crashing crescendo, but it doesn’t. Instead, it simply fades out into the distant hinterland. For me It seems more like a closing track of an album with its serene and restful ending, but hey, what do I know!, it's still a gorgeous track.

The last two pieces of music on the album “Midnatssol” and “Ilddåb” are Nordsind at their heaviest and fastest. Swirling blast beats with gorgeous riffs and steely bass dominate the space. Interludes of calm and tranquillity only serve as moments of reflection before getting swept back up into the throes of a blackgazed frenzy. 
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This is a very solid and stirring release that should put Nordsind right up there with all the current “blackgaze” favourites. This album is a tale of both joy and sadness that is told through music. If you crave the spirit, melody and measured ferocity that the “post black” / “blackgaze” genres bring, then “Lys” must be on your to do list. It has all the ingredients needed to become a contender for AOTY.  

Pat O' 

post rock / ambient

France is said to be the birthplace of cinema with it's innovative style and flair and it's fearless approach with experimentation. So it's not surprising that bands like Flyingdeadman, Lost In Kiev and Oak for example, are artisans at seamlessly integrating film into their own craft. It's a signature sound and style for a lot of bands in the “post rock” genre, but some bands are simply better than others when it comes to effortlessly blending the two art forms.

If I ever had the talent and ability to create music, Flyingdeadman's latest EP "The Night" could easily be the blueprint for it. For me, “post rock” needs to be emotive and melodic. It needs a lot of intensity to it, and have the ability to change your state of mind and play with your emotions. Now, even though this release is based on the 1968 sci-fi/ horror movie "The Night Of The Living Dead", I find a lot of what I mentioned in it. There's something incredibly warming and nostalgic about its sound. It's a captivating piece of haunting “cinematic post rock” .

Flyingdeadman's 2017 album, "56 Seasons" was also an immersive and enchanting release, charged with an array of emotions. It was an album I had on repeat for quite a long time, so I was surprised that this EP was released without me realising it. I need to start paying more attention!. However, better late than never, and as I envisaged, it wasn't long before I was under its spell.

The opening scene of "Reaching Out" starts off with some mellow, soothing guitars and nonchalant drums. Calm and soft spoken passages begin to tell the story, with the music reacting to the feelings and sentiment within it. A sublime bass line kicks in, with eloquent guitars creating drama and suspense. Everything slowly builds with slightly distorted guitars, all similar in feel to Lost In Kiev's "Nuit Noire". Nothing is rushed, as the tension starts to build and trepidation creeps in. Heavy and burly guitars gradually take the lead and you're led to a crescendo that doesn't quite explode, but instead leads you into the next track.

Track two, "Barbara" gently unfolds with soft reverbed guitars and muted drums playing over a pensive and haunting melody. Voices fill the air and you just can't help but be moved by the mood and the emotion of it all. The arrival of some gorgeous guitar picking builds on the intensity, before Barbara's distress and dismay is taken over by hysteria and impassioned pleas. It paints a heart-rending and inconsolable picture that is both tragic and overwhelming. 

"A haven and a jail" will have you remembering We Lost The Sea's "Challenger part 2", with the gorgeous guitar tones and airy vibes. Rolling drums pave the way for an influx of sound, energy and positivity on this track, with similarities being made to Way Stations album "The Ships". Flyingdeadman make this seem easy, but its a real talent to be able to incorporate all these sounds, samples and passages into one story, and do it seamlessly.

The heavier and more forward thinking track "Dawn at the gates" kicks off with its big bold bass line dominating the intro. It gathers pace and reaches a thumping climax with everyone playing solid and heavy. This is all in contrast to the final track on this EP, "Hopes and an open heart". Its breezy and translucent ambiance resonates and fills the air before a mini crescendo develops, and quickly departs, before cradling you back down to earth.

It's a short story, but it captures the imagination and keeps you enthralled throughout. A full album may have lost some of the intensity and drama that this EP delivered on. However, I would love to see a full album follow this in 2021 and maybe sometime down the road, experience them performing live. But until then, the EP is a "name your price" on Bandcamp so be sure to pick it up, it's a no-brainer.

Pat O.

post rock

I first heard God is An Astronaut play live in 2007 and it's a moment that's embedded in my mind forever. I stood in awe as images were projected onto a screen, with three silhouettes etched to the forefront. Thought provoking clips flashed and fizzed across the small stage as the band captivated us with wave after wave of hard hitting, emotive Post Rock beauty and melancholia. It was all incredibly euphoric and memorable. Fast forward nearly fourteen years and they are still playing mind blowing shows and releasing dramatic and cosmic material. “Ghost Tapes #10” is the latest chapter in their story. 

It's a heavy and Intense affair, and one could say that it’s a reflection of the uncertain times we now find ourselves in. The artwork of David Rooney certainly echoes that sense of foreboding we all have been thrown into over the last twelve months. Musically its a little different to what we've become accustomed to from God Is An Astronaut, but at the same time it's fresh, moving and equally as enthralling as their previous works. 

The album kicks off with "Adrift". It's a belter of a track and sets the vibe for what is to come on this all-consuming album. A solo drum passage gives way to a ripping guitar chord, followed by a hefty bass line, that soon morphs itself into a high octane, brooding piece of measured hysteria. It's abounding and atmospheric and is some of the heaviest and intense sounds to come from God Is An Astronaut that I can remember. There are moments of Russian Circles reverberating through it, but I hasten to add, this is done with more melody, direction and purpose here. Midway through this opener, the power is alleviated by lush and more familiar God Is An Astronaut atmospheres. Haunting soundscapes are soaked with rich guitars and create a massive, sonic synth haze. 

“Burial” follows suit and is probably the standout track for me, with its fierce and memorable delivery. Starting out in true God Is An Astronaut Fashion, it meanders through the darkness, with crestfallen piano and synths, all very reminiscent of 2018's “Epitaph”. This feeling is short-lived as distorted guitars set fire to the sky, and drums erupt to create a moment of unsettling joy and splendour. A huge bass line followed by lamented guitars and drums, create a finale that is destined to close out many live shows in the future. It's simply epic.

The overlying message on Ghost Tapes #10 is that of intensity. 2018’s release “Epitaph” was a great album and needed to be recorded, and it showcased a darker, more forlorn side to the band. It was so emotionally charged that it felt in some ways restricted to me. It captured a moment in time that will be fondly and respectfully remembered. However, with “Ghost Tapes #10”, a newfound energy has been stirred up. The return of Jamie Dean has raised the energy levels and given the band a shot of adrenaline, allowing this great gathering of musicians to become a stronger unit.

Tracks like “In Flux” and “Fade” are bursting at the seams with energy and melody and maintain that haunting and emotive qualities that God Is An Astronaut always deliver on. There are very few bands out there that can stir up such emotion and feeling with their music. 

“Spectres” is another piece of brilliance that caught my imagination, with the drumming of Lloyd Hanney, being quite simply mind blowing. The groove and pace he plays at hereis just mammoth. As always both Niels and Thorsten Kinsella are immense, and their imagination and creativity knows no bounds. They have been creating these emotive and ethereal sounds for twenty years now and judging by this release there's no letting up.

“Luminous Waves” closes the album with a calming and trance inducing melody. The amazing talents of cellist Jo Quail reverberates through this dense and wondrous passage to produce a fitting and memorable ending to what is a superb album. 

Any release from God Is An Astronaut is a big deal. A tenth studio album is a big deal. Twenty years and still going strong is a big deal. It stands to reason that Ghost Tapes #10 should be a big deal, and it is! It sounds fresh, energetic and powerful. Well done lads.

Pat O.

post rock

SPOIWO IS BACK. Isn't that all a post rock fan needs to know? Isn't that all I have to say to the people who attended their breathtaking gig at Dunk! festival? Those who were there will remember the magic that happened when Spoiwo occupied the stage. There were tears of pure happiness. 

Today, I received the new album by these sound-sculptors from Gdansk, Poland. I couldn't wait to feed it to my CD player and check out what these guys have been doing. However, the biggest question is: can they do better than their masterpiece 'Yos', from their previous album, 'Salute Solitude'? Let's dive into 'Martial Hearts'.

The album opens with 'Wild Eyes', which feels like an intro but also not. In a way it follows the atmospheric style of their previous album but you can sense that this is a huge step forward. The tune drives on gloomy soundscapes and electronic percussion. Spoiwo have been listening to Tiny Fingers and to Boards Of Canada and to Thisquietarmy, but more important, Spoiwo have been growing. Right after this magnificent opener comes the biggest surprise. 'Two Mountains' is a song, with vocals, somewhere between shoegaze and doom metal but without distortion. While still playing with their typical guitar drones, Spoiwo seems to have experimented in many different directions. More electronics, more atmosphere, more vocals, more sentiment. 

'Riot Sons' will easiliy please all fans of post rock plus everyone who's into the electronic sounds of Bonobo, Future Sound Of London, Worriedaboutsatan or Subheim. This one also answers the question about topping 'Yos'. The answer is "pretty much, yeah". Much like 'Yos', 'Riot Sons' is an immersive sonic journey, but that could be said about this whole album. Take the single 'Verge' for example, a mesmerizing piece of work which will even make Autechre-freaks drool. I think it's clear by now. This is not the same Spoiwo we met at Dunk! and in 'Salute Solitude'. This is an atmospheric vehicle on steroids.

'Taur' is perhaps the most post-rock related tune and also a nice breather after the weird tune 'Oyem'. While the latter is the most experimental track, 'Taur' is one of those amazing Spoiwo masterpieces with a steady rhythm, lengthy soundscapes and heaps of instrumental power. 'Wounds' takes things even further buy dragging in elements of experimental doom metal, martial industrial and, once again, vocals. Crazy stuff, but nonetheless fantastic. Closer 'Ghost Of Chance' mainly functions as an outro with intense electronic ambient and shedloads of atmosphere.

So, the verdict? I don't think it's a good idea to compare 'Martial Hearts' to 'Salute Solitude' since this is a whole new creative outing by Spoiwo. It's not better but also not worse, it's something different, a new episode in the ongoing story of Spoiwo. It's also an album-of-the-year candidate, already, one I will recommend to every fan of dark atmospheric music. And I'm damn sure that, when the stages reopen, Spoiwo will once again enchant audiences everywhere with this magnificent album. So yes, an absolute stunner and a sonic adventure of the highest order. SPOIWO IS BACK. Isn't that all we needed?


​Serge

ambient / post rock

When you feel music washing through you, stroking your eardrums and radiating through you like a heater in a shop doorway on a cold day… that’s the feeling you get from Efflorescence – In Inertia’s debut EP. 

Relatively new, In Inertia released a flurry of songs in the second half of 2020, then released this six-track EP – which doesn’t contain any of the already-released songs – in December. The group, originally from Indonesia, but now relocated to Japan, wear their influences on their sleeves.

Drenched in reverb and delay, the guitars move seamlessly from Slowdive-y, layered walls of sound to melodic runs. They employ atmospheric synth drones, giving the proceedings a cinematic feel. The second song on the EP – Finding Your Silver Lining – is a great example. Opening with a single guitar and synth drone, it builds into a wash of sound before deconstructing and reconstructing itself throughout.

The third song on the record – White Lotus – seems to be a seven-minute exercise in channeling Ryuchi Sakamoto through a reverb pedal. Which is a good thing. Like all of the songs, it employs a beautifully choreographed dance of ambient and melodic dynamics – rising and falling like breathing in. Very. Slow. Motion. 

With the guitars and synths stealing a lot of the scenes it would be too easy to focus on those, but the drums and bass are flawless throughout this record. Only ever stepping in when needed, they drive the songs forward when progress needs to be made – like that friend who gets you out of the house for a walk after a long week of lockdown. “Get off the couch, you lazy bastard! We’re going to feed the ducks.” 

Takao’s Smile – the fourth song on the album – is a great example of this in action. Heavy on the delay and reverb, a lone guitar opens with a pleasant chord progression before being joined by the atmospheric, but incredibly subtle, synth. A couple of bars later, a second guitar joins, tracing an Explosions In The Sky-type melody line with a very polite drum pattern. This carries on evolving and metamorphosing until 3:20, when the drums say, “Come on, lads. Let’s kick out the Jams for a while!” And they do: the Jams are well and truly kicked.
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When I listen to music I want to feel something. I want to know exactly what the band is trying to convey, not just through the lyrics, but also the tone, volume and emotion. A case in point: The Great Gig In The Sky has absolutely no discernable words whatsoever, but the listener is dragged along by Clare Torry’s wordless vocalizing and Richard Wright’s piano. Post Rock has a similar approach for me. The key is in the pacing, the dynamics, the textures and the emotions behind the songs. In Inertia themselves say on their Bandcamp page for this record, “Efflorescence is the emotional complexity that describes our respect towards memories and upcoming life.”

Granted, across the EP there isn’t a diverse texture in the songs, relying as they do on being soaked in reverb and delay. But where In Inertia excel is in their mastery of dynamics. Bringing the listener up into the crescendos and laying them to rest in the diminuendos. This is the key to making sure that the listener isn’t just a passive consumer, but a passenger in the music.
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Ben

post rock

Sometimes it is okay to clearly hear which path a band is following, which band inspires them. Too often critics expect bands to do several things at a time – disclose their idols, not follow them, copy well-known tropes, completely re-invent themselves (minimum) or a whole genre (at least)! How could any band do all of that? Quiet is the New Loud from Trieste, Northern Italy, do not choose between any of these. They simply play the kind of music they like. In their case that is Post-Rock in the vein of Godspeed You! Black Emperor; not the worst idol you could choose. 
The band is able to combine a lot of things that make a good album; artwork, “story” and music. And thus we want to talk about all of these things. 

The artwork for one of the 50 handmade CDs is awesome. The first glimpse is already very fine, a simple piece of paper folded up in order to house everything inside and then closed with a real colored wax-seal. Inside, you find a bunch of small sheets inside that are made to look old and give you details about the story of the record; a photo with a detail and a secret-conspiring numbering, and of course the CD in a separate paperback. Everybody purveys an aura of having stepped into a secret story you should not get involved with.

The story: The sheets show you that “Hidden Code” is set in San Francisco in the 60s and is the story of a man and woman called Penelope. She is in this a complicated relationship and even starts to doubt her very own existence. Many details are related on the numerous small sheets inside the paper envelope. Here we see how story and artwork are interwoven, which is even deepened, when thinking about the vocal samples used in some moments of the record which also emanate the feeling of being inside the story.

The music: As already mentions, the band uses vocal samples as the music is instrumental, apart from the second song “Mistake, Lights and Breaths” which features some female vocals. Other than that, only the instruments carry the story. They paint bright spots with the use of the cymbals, harsh guitar motifs are used to bring in some dark colors (corresponding with some of the darker parts of the story). Each instrument is used to contribute to the story which is remarkable as it once again clarifies this intersection of all three levels of the record.
Nevertheless the songs also stand on their own without the story-background or the connections to the artwork. This is just simply great post-rock very much like the early good Constellation releases. The quartet shows a deep understanding how to use their instruments very effectively and one of their biggest strengths is their willingness to create that atmosphere together – no one tries to outshine the other.

Moments of pure intimacy are placed amid torrents of dark sparkles, diamonds in the rough are hidden beneath some heavy grains of sand. “Hidden Code” may be a late-comer for those post-rock lists this year, but one should keep an eye open for further miracles of three-fold glories by Italian quartet Quiet is the New Loud.


Thorsten

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