post rock / post metal
Earlier this month, I published a few wishful predictions for Dunk! Fest 2020 (read). Belgian post rock/metal combo Turpentine Valley were mentioned in there and somehow I feel like that was a little spoiler. I mean, there is no way that Turpentine Valley are not going to occupy the stage in Zottegem. Here is why:
1. Their new album is released by Dunk! Records. 2. They're from Zulte, only 31 kilometers from the sacred festival grounds.
3. Their music will be featured on 'De Twaalf', a new Flemish fiction series on één.
4. 'Etch' is a smasher, containing tracks that will easily immerse and overwhelm the crowd.
Which is all good and well, but how does this album sound exactly? Well, if you look at their facebook page, you'll quickly notice that Russian Circles is one of their major influences. Deftones and If These Trees Could Talk are also in that list. So you can expect some rolling bass, a busload of grooving riffs and an atmosphere to float on. It all begins rather carefully in 'Abrupt', which gradually tries to lure the listener in. If that doesn't work, 'Compromis' will probably do the trick, driving on intensity and impressiveness. From there, the band rages on with an ever pulsating blend of post rock and post metal.
The short intermezzo 'Ballast' is oddly enough one of my favorites here, but I'm a dark ambient fan so that's quite natural. It mostly serves as an intro for the sonic bulldozer 'Vergeten'. These are riffs that will grind an audience to pulp, combined with a gritty atmosphere, doomed out rhythms and gloomy guitar-scapes. Like I said before, top shelf Dunk! material, no doubt about that. 'Trauma' is perhaps the most representative for Turpentine Valley: meticulously composed post metal, adding tiny licks of alternative rock and kneading it into a post metal statement, or monument, if you will.
In the beginning of the album, I thought this was a decent, interesting debut, but halfway through 'Trauma' I'm blown away by not only the sheer intensity but also the technical aspects of the whole thing. And that's not just me. My wife just said "dat is een debuut of wat? Fucking hell"! I'm not going to translate that. Guys from Zulte will understand. Anyway, while the equally strong 'Compassie' rolls through my speakers, I can only recommend this beauty to all you post metal fans out there. Yes, this is only a debut, which obviously means that the stakes are high. Turpentine Valley are here to dominate the post-scene...
Serge
1. Their new album is released by Dunk! Records. 2. They're from Zulte, only 31 kilometers from the sacred festival grounds.
3. Their music will be featured on 'De Twaalf', a new Flemish fiction series on één.
4. 'Etch' is a smasher, containing tracks that will easily immerse and overwhelm the crowd.
Which is all good and well, but how does this album sound exactly? Well, if you look at their facebook page, you'll quickly notice that Russian Circles is one of their major influences. Deftones and If These Trees Could Talk are also in that list. So you can expect some rolling bass, a busload of grooving riffs and an atmosphere to float on. It all begins rather carefully in 'Abrupt', which gradually tries to lure the listener in. If that doesn't work, 'Compromis' will probably do the trick, driving on intensity and impressiveness. From there, the band rages on with an ever pulsating blend of post rock and post metal.
The short intermezzo 'Ballast' is oddly enough one of my favorites here, but I'm a dark ambient fan so that's quite natural. It mostly serves as an intro for the sonic bulldozer 'Vergeten'. These are riffs that will grind an audience to pulp, combined with a gritty atmosphere, doomed out rhythms and gloomy guitar-scapes. Like I said before, top shelf Dunk! material, no doubt about that. 'Trauma' is perhaps the most representative for Turpentine Valley: meticulously composed post metal, adding tiny licks of alternative rock and kneading it into a post metal statement, or monument, if you will.
In the beginning of the album, I thought this was a decent, interesting debut, but halfway through 'Trauma' I'm blown away by not only the sheer intensity but also the technical aspects of the whole thing. And that's not just me. My wife just said "dat is een debuut of wat? Fucking hell"! I'm not going to translate that. Guys from Zulte will understand. Anyway, while the equally strong 'Compassie' rolls through my speakers, I can only recommend this beauty to all you post metal fans out there. Yes, this is only a debut, which obviously means that the stakes are high. Turpentine Valley are here to dominate the post-scene...
Serge
