Merchants Of Air
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Albums
    • Concerts
  • Interviews

Nude With Lyre - Blood

18/1/2017

Comments

 
ambient / drone
bandcamp
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our shirts
What a lovely day it is today. The sun is shining. Outside it's cold but inside it's warm. The magpies and crows are having a serious argument about who is allowed to occupy the massive pine tree in the garden. Below, the robins, finches, blackbirds and tits are minding their own businesses, munching on the rotting apples that fell from their trees. Yet, even through all that activity, there is a sense of serenity in the air, certainly with the audible help from the gem I'm listening to right now.

Because, obviously, we're not here for an ornithology-lesson. We're here for an album review. That album comes from American sound sculptor Tristan McNeil and under his Nude With Lyre moniker. This album started as a soundtrack for a short film but eventually grew into the delightful full length I'm listening to right now. Built-up with soundscapes, processed voices, minimal percussion and sub basses, this thing is as varied as it is hypnotic and as old school as it is futuristic.

'Naked' opens the album with some interesting minimalism. Yet, for my taste, the mesmerizing track 'Purple' is the one that truly convinced me of the quality of the whole thing. The song reminds me a bit of Olafur Arnalds meets Bonobo meets Bersarin Quartett and that's huge plus. 'Climbing' is another nice piece of electronic ambient meets classical folk music before 'There' gives the whole thing a gloomy and dark atmosphere. 'Birds' seems to explore the regions of (dark) jazz and intelligent dance music. Like Autechre meets Dale Cooper meets Biosphere.

I'm going to leave the last four songs up to you, but I promise you that those too are well worth the effort. Fans of ambient music, from Eno to Hecker, will definitely find something they love on 'Blood'. Ok, I will mention that 'Pleasure' is a bit weird, but nonetheless beautiful and interesting. So yes, this one comes highly recommended, not only by me but also by both my significant other and our cat. The latter doesn't even care about the birds anymore.

Serge




Comments

Brieviews 18

14/1/2017

Comments

 
Picture
Hurray, the first edition of Brieviews of 2017 is here and once again it's a damn varied one. From shoegaze to grindcore and from techno to djent, it's all in here. I'm sure that there is something you like in here. Enjoy...
Picture
check out our shirt designs

Blushing - Tether

shoegaze / dreampop
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Two husbands and wives making music together, that's always a better idea than go on a joint bicycle trip while wearing similar fluorescent bike-wear, not? Well, it certainly proved to be an excellent time spending idea for these four Americans, making blissful dreampop and shoegaze. In these four tracks, they easily please fans of Slowdive and Cocteau Twins while also coming with with some gritty grunge sounds. Opener 'Tether' is a damn catchy tune, one that might easily get stuck in your head. The other songs are perfect shoegazing tunes, once again highlighting in 'Mess'. This truly is a recommended ep.

88 Mile Trip - Blame Canada

stoner rock
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Another neat idea comes from Canadian stoner rockers 88 Mile Trip. During a beer drinking and record spinning session, they discovered some awesome songs from their home country and decided to cover the ones they like the most. That results in groovy stoner rock versions of songs by Bachman Turner Overdrive, Red Rider, Doug and The Slugs, Neil Young and Stampeders. Yet, the band manages not only to cover the songs but to make them their own, eventually resulting in a surprisingly coherent sounding ep. Although, as good as the ep is, I can't help but continuously singing South Park's 'Blame Canada'. Perhaps a cover idea for the future? 

The Empire Line - Syndicat de la Couture

electronic / ambient
Avian
Picture
Scandinavian multi-disciplinary artists Jonas Rönnberg & Christian Stadsgaard come up with some haunting electronic ambient like only experienced techno producers can do. Opening with the creepy 'Fragrance Arpege', this ep is as atmospheric as it is varied. 'Cafe Anglais' drives on electronic percussion and unidentified noises while 'Jewelry Armoire' is post-apocalyptic soundtrack material with eerie soundscapes. Closer 'Syndicat de la Couture' eventually brings out the analog beats and techno influences, but in a good way, a trancy and somewhat hypnotic way. Nice little gem, certainly recommended.

Movement Of Static - Novelty Seekers

post rock
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
We also have something nice for fans of post rock, namely the Greek band Movement Of Static who have released their quite promising debut ep. Although, ep, the whole thing last over half an hour, which gives us plenty of time to get acquainted with these beautiful tunes. In four songs, Movement Of Static provides the listener with an excellent blend of post rock and ambient with some heavier passages and loads of atmosphere. Opener 'Telomeres' is a brilliant piece of work, dark, creepy and immersive, like Godspeed meets Deftones.  If you like well-varied post rock music, you just can't go wrong with this ep.

Cowards - Still

black metal / hardcore
bandcamp
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Somewhere in the extreme spectrum of the musical universe, we find French horde Cowards and their brand new ep 'Still'. With a blend of black metal, hardcore and sludge, this act plans a vicious assault on your sanity. The music is gritty, noisy and more in-your-face than you can imagine. Pulverising riffs, blasting drums and a vocalist who seemingly feels like he doesn't need his lungs, this thing is out for nothing less than utter destruction. However, they do have a sense of humor, brilliantly covering The Horrorist's 'One Night In NYC', which actually is one of the coolest covers I've ever heard. Anyway, if you want music to murder you, this ep might be worth a shot

Dead Neanderthals - Dolphin

heavy jazz / noise rock
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Dutch heavy jazz combo Dead Neanderthals are seemingly doing everything in their power to make something unique. As a gift to their fans, they uploaded this eleven minutes lasting epos of sax, drums, chaos, intensity and insanity. It's stuff like this that connects the jazz scene with the grindcore and noise rock scenes and I have no idea what most jazz fans will think about this. That aside, I would recommend checking it out, preferably at a ridiculously loud volume and start throwing things against the walls. It therapeutic, I promise, you'll feel a lot better when it's all over. Rare jongens, die Nederlanders...

The Stone Cox - Blackboard

alternative rock
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Hell yeah, time to rock 'n roll  and for that French combo The Stone Cox are the perfect companions. On this ep, they come up with three high energy rock tracks, influenced by everything between Led Zeppelin and Foo Fighters. The first two are heavy and groovy rockers that can get every party started. Closer 'Not Going Home (Hard Red Sun)' somewhat reminds me of a band like The Scabs and shows a more musically gifted side of this band. Anyhow, rockers of all ages can easily appreciate this ep and I hope that soon this will be followed by a full-length. 

Death Metal Pope - Harvest

doom metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Imagine that, a death metal pope, growling his yearly "urbi et orbi" from a black and red painted Vatican. Would be funny. However, this Death Metal Pope has nothing to do with Christianity and just barely with death metal. This is a doom metal band which often comes very close to Black Sabbath and on other occasions blasts some guttural grunts and some psychedelic passages in your face. Although I still had my doubts in title track 'Harvest', 'From The Dust Returned' convinced me that this is an awesome ep, one that is certainly worth your attention if you're into old school doom. A must-have for doom fans, that's for sure.

Ben Blutzukker - Analog Blood

heavy metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
German one man electro band Blutzukker becomes German one man metal band Ben Blutzukker and comes up with something surprising. As you can see on the cover, one of the influences is Guns 'n Roses but the whole thing sounds more like an Abbath side project, exploring the massive history of heavy metal. The four songs on this ep are quite gritty metal songs, reminding me of acts like Venom or Motorhead. Not bad for songs that were initially electro/industrial tunes. My favorite is 'Red' but I'd certainly recommend every open minded metalhead to check this out and compare the songs to the originals.

A Cunning Man - Practical Applications Of Theurgy

power metal / heavy metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Another one man project, and one with a quite unusual twist. A Cunning Man describes his act as "One man metal project with a strong Scottish accent", something I can't deny. Of course, the Scottish accent makes the whole thing sound somewhat weird and drags it into the world of pagan metal. Yet, the music feels like a mesmerizing amalgamation of metal styles, from the power metal of bands like Hammerfall over black and death metal to modern day arena rock. The ep contains three songs which certainly deserve your attention, especially if you want something familiar yet unique. 

Beneath A Godless Sky - ​Beneath A Godless Sky

hardcore / progressive
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
French djent-act Beneath A Godless Sky comes with a debut that will pierce you in more ways that you could possibly imagine. Now, personally, I'm not a connoisseur of the whole djent scene, which to me makes this whole ep sound like something between Meshuggah, Periphery and Tesseract. I guess that's not a band list of bands to be compared with. I do know that the songs on this thing are loaded with energy, intensity and brutality. Besides, some passages here are damn immersive and most riffs are well-worth of an intense headbanging session. In its entirety, I know that this is nothing for me but for fans of progressive hardcore and djent, it is definitely a must-have.

Elusion - Desert Of Enticement

symphonic meal / gothic meal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
This debut by Belgian band Elusion does not sound like a debut, far from it. If you told me that this was a new effort by After Forever or Epica, I might have believed you. The three songs on this ep are high quality symphonic metal songs, played by seasoned musicians and sung by a talented  woman. What's more, these songs rock, making them perfect headbanging material. Personally, I didn't really follow this particular genre anymore but I'm damn sure that these three tunes, especially the folky closer 'Facade' will appear in my day-to-day playlist quite often from now on. They should appear in yours too if you're into this genre.

Rumah - A View To The Sea

techno
Wolfskuil
facebook
Picture
At festivals, I often wander into the dance hall, even though I do not consider myself a techno fan. However, I usually enjoyed these sonic adventures for a while, which is exactly why I sometimes decide to review a techno ep This one comes from English producer Rumah and contains four high energy dance tunes, mainly inspired by the Detroit scene of the nineties. The first act that came to mind to compare this ep with, was Joey Beltram and you can add people like Jeff Mills or Dave Clarke to that list as well. So yes, this is a recommended release if you're in for some decent, old school dance music.

American Anymen + Lise - Oui

alternative / singer-songwriter
bandcamp
facebook American Anymen
facebook Lise
Picture
From the United States comes a nice cooperation between anti-folk act American Anymen and singer-songwriter/keyboardist Lise. In four songs, both acts seem to explore the possibilities of this get together. Opener 'Nobody Made Me Smile Like You Did' is an excellent ballad while 'Less Complex' and 'Does Anybody Still Think Of Me' are uplifting rock songs, driving on acoustic guitars. Closer 'H' is another ballad, but probably my favorite track on this album. I wouldn't really know who to compare this ep with, Beck maybe? But then again, nice pop songs like these don't need comparison, they just need to be listened to.

The Vomiting Dinosaurs - Exoplanets

death metal / thrash metal
Grimoire Records
Amazon
facebook
Picture
And we end this edition of Brieviews with a short but destructive assault by American thrash-death horde The Vomiting Dinosaurs. In mere  fifteen minutes this trio blasts nine songs of gore and brutality over their listeners and I'm sure those listeners will enjoy the abuse.  Most of the songs drive on fierce hardcore punk tempos and issue an array of guttural growls and screams. If this stuff doesn't get your grindcore party started, you are not having a grindcore party, that's for damn fucking bloody sure. A favorite? Nope, this whole thing is only fifteen minutes long, which makes the entire thing well suited for a session of audible SM.

Serge
Comments

Lazerpunk! – Nightcrawler

19/12/2016

Comments

 
electronic / synthpop / darkwave
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our shirts
Nightcrawler is the most recent release by Hungarian electronic music artist Lazerpunk! One hour long, the album has fourteen tracks – as to know, The Message, Virtual Reality, Level One, Worldeater, Miami Mafia, Million Dollar Baby, Warrior, Radio Towers, Night Sky, This Is Not The End, Stardrifter, Nightcrawler, Endgame and The Fading Memories Of Summer And You – that reveals itself to be a very unusual and bizarre piece of electronica. With an intriguing, but exceedingly eccentric mixture of several subgenres, like dark, retro and futurewave, as well as synthwave, amongst others, Nightcrawler relies on too much generic and formulaic electronica devices, becoming a somewhat noisy album, for dealing with so many styles, doing in fact little to aggregate intelligent elements to this generally unfavorable and very conspicuous musical panel of melting electronic subgenres.

Don’t get me wrong. Nightcrawler is not a bad album, but it’s not memorable either. Only if you are a very ardent enthusiast of noisy electronica, you will like this record. Extremely exasperating all the way through, some of its tracks can work in night clubs, but only a handful of them. Some beautiful melodies do emerge along the way, but its principles, in general, are too slow or beaten up to please an audience, and the listener rapidly grows tired of so much sharp and superficial sonorous uniformity, throughout a musical anatomy that inevitably gets excessively monotonous, and ostensibly repetitive. 

There are little elements to describe positively about this album. If you think of it as specifically designed to attend a narrowed niche of electronica, then this work really becomes better understood, and you extract more sense out of it, vividly and functionally. Otherwise, it is just another work full of synth notes and noises, that makes you grow tired – at best, at worst, you die of boredom – while listening to it.

This musician is really skilled and talented in what he does. Nonetheless, he does not challenge himself on a satisfactory basis on this album. He keeps his abilities guarded in a comfort zone, and never leaves. Aside some bright moments, and a handful of good tracks, this album will hardly prove itself to be worthwhile to anyone, unless you are one of those people who can be described as an exception, that fit in the specific niche, upon which Nightcrawler is meticulously inserted.    


Wagner
Comments

Nibana – Fireside Tales

19/12/2016

Comments

 
electronic / psytrance
ADN Music
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our shirts
Fireside Tales is an album by psychedelic psytrance electronic music artist Nibana, released by French record label ADN MUSIC, on December 10. With four tracks – Neuro Diversity, Mysterious Encounter, Warm Colors and A Journey Into Deep Space – this album is filled with deeply melodic tunes, and is literally abundant in a vast amount of elements that has everything to make this album the simplest, yet the greatest, psychedelic psytrance album of the year. Marvelously beautiful, with the correct, but subtle incidence of alternative and progressive elements, colorful and sincere harmonies, as well as a coherent range of wonderful rhythms, makes Fireside Tales a very audacious work, true to the most outrageous principles of the genre. But it has a very courageous overlook, that beautifully looks deep inside the genre’s possibilities.

A unique work in several aspects, the harmonies are intertwined with an integral sonorous segregation, that deeply reverberates into the cosmos of its own salutary development. Relying on more calm, yet profound harmonies, Fireside Tales is an album that reveals and works psytrance in a more reflexive and philosophic context, beautifully underlying the melodies in a more subjective definition, creating rainbows outside the sphere of its lucid, serene and wonderfully energizing sonorous majesty. 

Although the album per se is strictly simple, it is so complete, that the consistence of its poetic harmonies revolves from a more timeless overview of the music, contemplating the grace of its gregarious connotations as a perfect definition of sound, that generates uniqueness as a stream of style, relying on a strength of several peculiarities, that makes this album a great and marvelously surreal work of art.

For all enthusiasts of a more contemplative and serene work of art, to listen to Fireside Tales is almost a religious obligation. With restless hypnotic moments, and a very cohesive straightforward style that unravels a monumental diagram of sound, this album consecrates the path to a wonderful sonorous experience, that will lead you to a very different universe, where everything is possible, and related to a personal sense of artistry. Revealing in a wider scope the tangible possibilities not yet fully comprehended by the genre itself, Fireside Tales is an album that rearranges its own symmetry of sound in a calmer, but very dense atmosphere, fully assimilating the imponderable veracity of all the universes hidden in the infinite cosmogony of sound, with a desire to capture the unknown, and hold it altogether in a vast labyrinth of harmony, sensibility and life.   


Wagner
Comments

Brieviews 17

17/12/2016

Comments

 
Picture
Picture
check out our shirts

Ummagma + A.R.Kane - Winter Tale 

dream pop
bandcamp
Ummagma
A.R. Kane
Picture
The one thing I dislike about Christmas, is the music. From those appaling bells to the 'Frohe Weihnachten' by The Wiener Sängerknaben, it's all horrible. Luckily, this year, there's a decent alternative, a little cooperative single by shoegaze / dream pop acts Ummagma and A.R. Kane. 'Winter Tale' is a gentle, dreamy and quite minimal song, guaranteed to get you into the wintery atmosphere. If you're into stuff like Cocteau Twins, 'Winter Tale' could easily guide you through the darkest days of winter. I also really dig the two remixes, taking on an ambient approach. Nice work...

Verein Freude - Schnappschuss

jazz / krautrock / post rock
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Somewhere between the immersive atmosphere of post rock and the psychedelic approach of krautrock we find the inspiring music of Verein Freude, a German band. On their facebook page, this quartet mentions Miles Davis, Avishai Cohen and several other jazz-musicians, and with good reason too. The music on this ep is a perfect combination of jazz and post rock, well, the mild, subdued version of post rock that is. The end result is a nice relaxed piece of music, perfectly suited for the quiet winter evenings and the lounge bars at the summer beaches alike. Check it out, this is a pleasurable listen.

dy - Flip Side

electronic / idm
ampbitifgo
bandcamp
Picture
On to the electronic scene then, where we meet a project named Dy and his weird, gloomy electronics. In a way, I think it's safe to place this ep between your Aphex Twin and Autechre albums. Dark, haunting soundscapes and broken rhythms make up most of this release, brilliantly highlighting in 'Flipped Out'. Although, I have the say, that eerie opener, 'Cheap Seats' is a great piece of electronic (dark) ambient as well, reminding me even of Deutsch Nepal's percussion rich works. In all, this is a splendid effort, containing five original and immersive pieces of electronic sound art, definitely good enough for my daily playlist.

Architectural - Cubismo

techno
Triple Vision
facebook
Picture
Time to put on your dancing shoes and join me in the discotheque. Spanish producer Architectural comes up with an ep containing four dance tracks, seemingly inspired by the early industrial techno scene of Detroit where strange soundscapes and noises meet repetitive beats and minimal percussion. For me, the ep highlights in the second track ('Cubismo 8.2 (Lost in Buenos Aires)), probably because of those awesome ambient soundscapes. Yet, I just might recommend this one to everyone who isn't afraid of some electronic dance music once in awhile, especially those who nudge towards industrial.

Guruzsmás - Üst A Gríz Felett​

rock / experimental
bandcamp
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Back to the world of rock music, more specifically the experimental corners of that industry. Guruzsmás is a band from Hungary, four guys playing some complex, confusing and fascinating music. It's just as alternative as it's psychedelic and reeks just as much of jazz than it reminds me of Frank Zappa. There are flashes of surf rock, post rock, math rock, noise rock and so on. Hell, there is a didgeridoo and it's mainly instrumental, apart from some troath-singing. Yes, this is a weird album, but nonetheless one that deserves your attention if you want something else, something unique. This is something unique!!!

Crimson Tusk - Crimson Tusk

stoner / doom
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Driven by the sheer power of the riff, Oxford quartet Crimson Tusk come up with a heavy but groovy four track ep. On this, they deliver a solid blend of sludge metal, stoner rock and heavy blues, obviously resulting in delicious fuzzed out rock songs in the vein of Dopethrone, Bongzilla, Weedeater and so on. My favorite track is 'Stray Dog', a guaranteed party started, but I guess that could easily be said about all four of these tunes. Even more so, throughout the album, the party seems to intensify. 'Rollin' made me start a little head-banging session. What a fine stoner doom tune that is. Stoner doomers, you have got to buy this one!!!

Cities of Mars - Celestial Mistress

psychedelic doom
bandcamp
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Swedish doom masters Cities Of Mars take us on an interplanetary mission. With heavy riffing, psychedelic passages and firm, intense vocals, this trio comes knocking on the doors of Yob, Conan, Mastodon and The Obsessed. The three tracks on this ep are simply epic doom metal anthems, with title track 'Celestial Mistress' being an eleven minutes lasting highlight, both on this ep and in the whole doom metal scene. Fans of the above mentioned bands can easily trust Cities Of Mars to deliver the goods so it'll be no surprising that this galactic gem comes highly recommended.

Ur - Hail Death

black metal / doom / thrash
Arachnophobia Records
facebook
Picture
Another shocking piece of extremism comes from Polish horde Ur. They present a six track ep with a grim blend of thrash, doom and black metal. The result is a damn varied piece of work with some fierce headbanging potential. Bands that come to mind include Voivod, Venom, Sodom, Absu, Marduk and so on. Yet, it does feel like a coherent effort. 'The Tongue Of Fire' is probably my favorite song on this one but that's a difficult choice to make. Whom I'd recommend it to? Well, obviously  all those old school black & thrash metal fans out there. This is the real shit!

Dark Messiah - Dark Messiah

thrash metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Hailing from Canada, Dark Messiah blends metal, metal and metal into metal. The band was formed in the summer of 2015 and already come up with their debut ep. In a way you can actually hear that. Although the five songs here are decent metal tunes, they're not yet close to the heroes that influenced Dark Messiah (you know, Metallica, Megadeth, Pantera...). But who knows, give time, effort and a professional producer, the future might shine bright for these Canadians. If so, in a few years, many fans will start looking for this debut, so you might as well just buy it now...

Stillborn Slave - 7 Ways To Die

metalcore
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Formed in 2009, French melodic hardcore combo Stillborn Slave have a lot more experience under their belts than the band above, and you can actually hear that. In seven songs, with a total of twenty-eight minutes, these guys blast some brutal metalcore, deathcore or whatever core through your speakers. The absolute highlight is 'End Of Everything', a song that sounds destructive enough to deserve such a title. This definitely is something for the younger generation of metalheads. However, I'm sure seasoned metal fans can easily appreciate the high level of musicality on this one.

Expo Seventy - America Here & Now Sessions 

drone / ambient / psychedelic
Essence Music
facebook
Picture
After all that metallic violence, it's time for something completely different. For that, this massive jam session definitely is a highly recommended piece of work. Like we're used to from Justin Wright, this album is an hypnotic trip through cosmic music and psychedelic rock, something between acts like Om, Earth and Barn Owl, along with the jam bands from the sixties and seventies . This time, two drummers have been added to the mix, giving the whole something jazzy and psychedelic. The end result is a mesmerizing album that will definitely accompany my late-nite writing sessions from now on.

Tellma - Swansong

folk / rock
website
facebook
Picture
Tellma is a French duo, dedicated to playing elegant rock music and that's exactly what you get on this ep. The acoustic guitar is the central instrument on which a number of calm, emotional pop rock songs are written. The songs are not complex, not overly distorted, not rocking your socks off but they are certainly a pleasure to listen to. The music reminds me a bit of Radiohead, David Bowie and Jeff Buckley. The title track remains my favorite, followed by the tearjerking version of Queen's  'The Show Must Go On'.

Deathblow - Demolition Deployment

thrash metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
While preparing their upcoming full-length, Salt Lake City thrashers Deathblow throw this short but brutal assault in our faces. The ep contains two songs and a cover version of Motorhead's 'Mean Machine'.  Obviously, this is stuff to bang your head to. Think Overkill, Kreator, Testament, any of your eighties thrash favorites and you'll be very close to what Deathblow delivers. It's fast, varied and relentless, exactly what this kind of music is supposed to be. So thrashers of the world, what are you waiting for? Get your hands on this ep or are you not a true thrasher? I mean, it's only a dollar...

Deep Fryer - Deep Fryer

punk / hardcore
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Songs about hangovers, groundhogs and whatnot, recorded in a basement by a band constisting of members of other Fredericton, New Brunswick based bands, a band with the seering hot name Deep Fryer. I'm not sure if this is all too serious, but that doesn't really matter. What matters is the fact that these are four fierce, aggressive and fast hardcore punk songs that will even make your chamber plants start a moshpit in your living room. My personal favorite? The band's name. I know, I'm not really a hardcore fan but if you are, you have to download the shit out of this. Besides, it's free so you have no excuse not to.

Parallel Colors - Inoculation

post rock / psychedelic / progressive
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Also free, and certainly worth the effort is the very first single by American progressive rockers Parallel Colors. Inspired by everything between Tool, Caspian and Russian Circles, these guys come up with an immersive, technical and varied eight minutes lasting track. If this really is the harbinger of things to come, like a full-length, Parallel Colors might become one of thé discoveries of 2017. I certianly hope that they will send me the album when ready and come over to Belgium and the rest of Europe for some magnificent gigs. This truly is promising stuff...
Comments

Brieviews 16

2/12/2016

Comments

 
Picture
Picture

​Sorgu​inazia - Sorguinazia

black metal
Vault Of Dried Bones
Picture
Aah, a new edition of Brieviews, and why not simply kick of with what will probably prove to be the most raunchy and ghastly piece of musical extremism in this article. Sorguinazia is a duo, dwelling in the deepest, darkest caves and tombs of the black metal scene. Don't expect musical ingenuity on this one, but prepare to get molested by fierce guitars, haunting vocals and a relentless tempo. One these three songs, the duo constantly balances on the edge between primitive black metal and harsh noise. This is not music, this is either an exorcism or an occult ritual and it's definitely suited only for the chosen few who can handle the extremest of the extreme.


Ruínas de Sade - Ruínas de Sade

stoner doom
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
On the slower part of the metal spectrum, we meet up with Brazilian psychedelic doom band Ruínas de Sade and their self titled three-track debut. I'm not sure when this band formed, but my guess is "not that long ago". However, despite the fact that the whole thing sounds like a first effort by some enthusiastic youngsters, there is some bloody awesome potential to be found here. The tracks are long and loaded with monolithic riffs, rough vocals and psychedelic solos which even bring Pink Floyd to mind. Of course, I would recommend this to all doom fans but another shoutout goes to labels: sign these guys, lock them up in a studio for a year, add a solid producer and they might come out with a classic. This is talent!!!


Smallman & Ivan Shopov - Inner Oceans

post rock / electronic / doom
bandcamp
Smallman
Ivan Shopov
Picture
Onto one of the most unique releases in this edition of Brieviews, an astonishing cooperation between Bulgarian doom metal band Smallman and drum & bass producer Ivan Shopov (Cooh/Balansky). The result of this cooperation is an often perplexing blend of styles, contrasting rhythms, dark ambient, folk and post rock passages and intense outbursts of metal. Bands that come to mind include Massive Attack, Coldplay, Primordial and Anathema. There is plenty of atmosphere and more variation than you can imagine but most of all, these are simply excellent songs, dressed in a modern and epic sound.


Jupiter Hollow - Odyssey

progressive metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Since we're dwelling in the experimental and somewhat unusual corners of the music industry, allow me to introduce Jupiter Hollow. In the past few years, this duo has been absorbing all things progressive and now come up with a stunning blend of everything between Rush, Opeth, Pink Floyd, Dream Theater and Tool. The five songs on this album are complex, often downright confusing pieces of progressive rock, interlaced with ambient passages. They not only show tremendous technical abilities but also a decent flair for songwriting. Fans of progressive rock should definitely get their hands on a copy of this. This is pretty much everything you like, pressed into one ep.


Grus Paridae - Forthcoming Nonintellectual Decadence

progressive rock
Amazon
facebook
Picture
On the somewhat more gentle side of the progressive rock spectrum, we reconnect with Finnish masterminds Grus Paridae and their new single. I remember writing a review for this act in the early days of Merchants Of Air and I remember being quite charmed by their music. On this single, that is no different. 'Forthcoming Nonintellectual Decadence' is a classic progressive rock anthem, one where I can clearly hear influences from Pink Floyd but also elements from classical music. The piano and violins have a central role in this atmospheric and beautiful piece of music and the whole thing sounds well balanced, varied and as anthem-like as this kind of music should be. Nice work.


Solar Mass - Pseudomorphosis

death metal / thrash metal
Iron Bonehead
facebook
Picture
Right, back to the extremes, this time with a strange and chaotic entity from New Zealand. This tape seems to be something special and certainly somewhat exciting. It doesn't just blast out some fierce thrash metal, neither does it crawl in the thick, muddy sound of grindcore. It isn't doom metal, nor progressive rock. Nope, this is pretty much all of them, a tremendously varied blend of metal styles, pressed into something original. Bands that come to mind, include Celtic Frost, Death, Voivod, Dismember and even Sacred Recih, to give you an idea about the versatiliy of this mere eighteen minutes lasting tape. Certainly recommended.

Speedwhore - On the Verge of Dysfunction

thrash metal / black metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Feel like headbanging a little more? Well, here's your chance, courtesy of German blackened thrash metal horde Speedwhore and their latest effort. What makes this band so interesting for me, is the effective blend between old fashioned thrash metal, including the occasional high shrieks, and vintage black metal vocals. The result are five infectious pieces of mosh-pit inducing metal (plus an intro and an intermezzo) which are quite irresistible for the metalhead who likes his music fast, ferocious and relentless. Songs like 'Alcoholic Force' and 'Dead City' really take me back to the glory days of Sacred Reich, Tankard and Vio-Lence. Truly recommended stuff!!!

Cathuria - позив

dark ambient
facebook
Picture
Right, time for something calm and soothing after all those metallic assaults we've been through so far. On the other hand, you might replace "calm and soothing" with "dark and terrifying", which is just as good for me. This single by dark ambient act Cathuria is a great and somewhat narrative piece of music, featuring eerie, haunting soundscapes and almost ritual percussion. As a fan and composer of this kind of stuff, I can honestly say that this thing is right up my alley. If you're a fan of acts like Raison d'être , Desiderii Marginis or Svartsinn, this single should definitely have a place in your collection.

El Pretro Maniaco - As Impie As Can Be

noise / experimental
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Where the previous single was dark, mysterious and terrifying, we now go for 'maniacal, torturous and diabolic. From the first look at the cover, this act reminds of me of acts like Nicole 12, MZ412 and Archon Satani, a feeling that remains throughout the album. So yes, we're balancing on the thin egde between dark ambient and noise, somewhere in a region we call "the avant-garde". With haunting soundscapes and deranged voices, El Pretro Maniaco certainly delivered something intense and captivating, something which definitely isn't suited for everyone, only for those dark, tortured souls out there...

[ówt krì] & Fecal Fetal - Misanthropy VI

dark ambient / experimental
Sombre Soniks
[ówt krì]
Picture
Speaking of tortured souls, here is a hypnotic cooperation between two acts from Finland. While both acts are experienced in the world of dark ambient and sound design, their cooperation is harsher than their solo work, often blatanly crossing the line between music and harsh noise. There is a sense of madness in here, a heap of utter darkness and a gnawing feeling of despair. The music is a combination of unrecognizable soundscapes, rhythmic loops and vague melodies. Sometimes I can hear flashes from jazz, hidden beneath a wall of strange noises and voices. Better train your ears for this thing...

Derhead - Via

black metal
Via Nocturna
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
The first official release by this Italian black metal act immediately is a banger. With four songs and a heap of older demo recordings, this ep is a fifty minutes journey into utter despair, depression, anxiety and madness. Deranged vocals, furious tempos, bleak riffing, everything a self respecting black metal fan can possibly want is here. The atmosphere is intensely cold and dark and the music is perfectly suited to unleash your inner demons. My favorite track possible is opener 'Cenere', which might as well be one of my favorite black metal tracks this year. So, my fellow haunted souls, get your cold, dreaded hands on this thing..

Encyclopedia Frown - Phantomwise

post punk
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Right, back to the somwhat friendlier side of the music industry, where we end up listening to a teacher-student duo from The Philippines. This act comes  up with a harsh, primitive version of post-punk and shoegaze music. It takes me way, waaaay back into the eighties where bands like Joy Division, TC Matic, The Jesus and Mary Chain  and even Sonic Youth roamed. On the other hand, it sounds like many of the garage bands you can hear while walking or biking through the vast musical universe. It's not complex, not technical, not perplexing, not extremely original or varied, but it rocks and that's all that counts...

Red Cain - Red Cain

progressive / power metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Modern melodic metal from Canada, suited for fans of Kamelot, Symphony X, Alter Bridge and Tesseract, that's what the biography mentioned. Yet, I'd like to add bands like Moonspell to that list, certainly after listening to the brilliant opener 'Guillotine', which is an epic dark metal anthem. The rest of this ep is pretty much equally interesting with some very strong metal songs. Red Cain somehow managed to blend progressive, technical and dark metal into a mesmerizing journey. Personally, I really dig the clean but forceful vocals with this kind of music so in that Red Cain certainly delivered the goods. Closer 'Unborn' is my second favorite, especially with that epic intro. 


Plecto Aliquem Capite - The End

black metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Well, I guess I have to reconsider what I said in the first Brieview of these series. That was not the most raunchy and ghastly piece of music, this one is. And it comes all the way from Sri Lanka to haunt your dreams and devour your souls. Although categorized as black metal, the act sounds more like a Japanese noise act with their downright disturbing and chaotic sound. Even a seasoned black metal listener like me has a hard time staying sane while playing this stuff. This must be one of the most insane and demonic releases I've ever heard. Approach with caution, this one might be harmful to your mental health....

Wolve - Lazare

progressive / alternative rock
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Somewhere between Radiohead, Deftones and Massive Attack dwells the French band Wolve. They take the time to write decent songs and to let those songs evolve and alter on their own, something I can only applaud. Opener 'Lazare' is an amazing rock anthem with plenty of atmosphere and some nice instrumental passages. That alone makes this ep worth the effort. But then there's the other songs. A nice modern, alternative rock tune in 'Porccelain', an immersive rocker in closer 'Far' and a weird noiserock shorty called 'Inferno'. I'm not really sure about the latter, but the rest of these tunes make up for something highly promising in the future.

Beneath A Godless Sky - Beneath A Godless Sky

progressive metal / djent / post metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Some more relentlessness from our neighbours in France, this time with a genre called "djent". I'm not very familiar with it and many of the bandnames don't really ring a bell but I know what I like, and I like what I'm hearing right now. Short, nervous riffs, energetic drums, loads of atmospheric sounds and a harsh, screaming voice create a captivating blend of post metal and hardcore. No doubt that songs like 'The Wall' and 'Broken Streets' will be absolute blasts when played live, certainly with that amount of energy and intensity. This definitely is one for the newer generation of metalheads, but I think Meshuggah fans can easily appreciate this slab of aggression too.


Plaisir Vallée - ​Plaisir Vallée

indie rock / psychedelic
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
We're still in France, but this time something completely different rolls through our speakers. Plaisir Vallée is a trio that combines the funk of young Michael Jackson with the psychedelic rock of Jimi Hendrix and the indie attitude of Ween. The result is a joyous and somewhat adventurous ep with some great rock songs. This definitely is something for the stage, so I'm secretly hoping to be able to witness this anytime soon. I'm not going to name a favorite song here, since all of them make me smile and dance a little bit. I suggest you try the same. It doesn't always have to be darkness and despair, sometimes awesome rock music is all we need...

Comments

Hallupsynagogic – The Myth Of The Cave

28/11/2016

Comments

 
electronic / trance / techno / psytrance
Biijah Records
Picture
Picture
check out our shirt designs
The Myth Of The Cave is the most recent album by Hallupsynagogic, released by Biijah Records, on November 20. With five tracks – being them From Caveman to Alchemist Part I, From Caveman to Alchemist Part II, Ghost Valley, Goblin's Cavern and Hipnagogic Purple (Vs Polybius), The Myth Of The Cave is a trance electronic music album, with an effervescent psychedelic vibe and twist. 

Playing all around with the most entertaining elements of trance music, The Myth Of The Cave has vibrantly skilled and spiraled upbeat harmonies, all perfectly inserted in a very eccentric layer of intelligent rhythms, that remains somewhat constant throughout the whole album. With a distinct playfulness that characterizes ostensibly the spirit of a very basic trance, these five tracks on The Myth Of The Cave really pushes to the limit the basic elements of the genre, relying on a more fully formed traditional design to uplift the development of the rhythms.

Although this feature can be appreciated as a restrict quality, on the other hand, it represents a very compounding weakness, since no innovation is presented here, and the album eventually turns out to the just another trance record, that relies on a “same old” model of work. Although the five tracks presented here are not bad at all, they’re also far away of having some significance. Generated by the central axis of the propelling musical device which comes to subsidize the basic outline of the genre, what we really have in The Myth Of The Cave is a very good, decent trance music album, that is incapable of going beyond that. This means that, completely destitute of an impulsive energy and a groundbreaking originality, this album will never achieve a great result. While I reiterate the fact that this album is, indeed, a very good work, its normality and uniformity can’t accomplish too much. Even the more ardent enthusiasts of the genre will feel bored after listening to this album only a handful of times. 

A good trance music album, that doesn’t explore the vitality of its potential, or the amplitude of the genre per se, The Myth Of The Cave is a very good work, but, unfortunately it stops there. Completely incapable of going further on the path of limitless musical possibilities, exploration and exhilaration, this album is destined to lose itself in the road to sameness. In the meanwhile, you can certainly listen to it, and enjoy, at least to a certain degree. Sooner or later, you will inevitably forget about it. You can be positive about that.       



​Wagner
Comments

Scandroid – Scandroid

28/11/2016

Comments

 
electronic / darkwave /synthpop
bandcamp
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our t-shirts
Scandroid is the eponymous self-titled debut album of an electronic cyberpunk darkwave/ retro wave/ synth wave one-man musical project, led by an artist known only as Klayton, based on the United States, responsible also for the projects Celldweller and Circle of Dust. With fifteen tracks – being them 2517, Salvation Code, Aphelion, Shout, Destination Unknown, Connection, Datastream, Empty Streets, Awakening With You, Atom & E.E.V, Neo-Tokyo, Pro-bots & Robophobes, Eden, Singularity and Eden (Waveshaper Remix), the album was released on November 11, together with another one, that is only an instrumental version. 

With a brilliant futuristic techno style of electronica, Scandroid can be best described as the perfect marriage between Daft Punk and mind.in.a.box. Its debut album, without a doubt, is one of the best things that I have ever heard in my entire life within the genre. With a powerful force of its own, filled grace, amazing rhythms, and catchy melodic twists, Scandroid certainly is the future of electronica. With a gracious, but lucid influence of 80’s pop, the artist in question really absorbed all the right things, in what concerns the musical influences from the past. With the fourth track – Shout – being an electronic version for the notorious Tears for Fears classical hit, this album is literally a masterpiece: no flaws, no boring moments, no nostalgia freaking styled tracks. Scandroid is the most beautiful electronica masterpiece that you will ever hear in your life. It’s such a powerful album that it’s impossible to become tired of it. Beautiful, poetic, filled with escalating rhythms and hallucinating melodies that travel through the magical rainbows of a hopeful philosophy of sensibility and love, Scandroid is one of the best albums of 2016, one of the best albums of the decade, and certainly one of the best albums ever made in the history of electronica, as a genre, and as a sonorous expression of art.            

A marvelous and perfect album, like I had never heard before, with equally disturbing ascendant moments filled with rapture, and an indescribable energy that encompasses the songs from the beginning until the end, such amazing masterpiece deserves all the recognition it could get, from the moment it was released. 

Fantastic, imperially suggestive, permeated with a happiness that engulfs the rhythms in a melodic dissonance that dwells from a distance, this album literally made me speechless. Beautiful beyond any description, Scandroid is a marvelous masterpiece, that will define something new in your heart, as well as shape and rearrange through another perspective your musical taste. A wonderful work of art, bound by a universe of glowing light, this is a musical experience like you have never heard. Superb, powerful, unique, with a high level of delusional excellence and majestic artistry, this is definitely the album of a lifetime. A wonderful paradise for the ears, to say the least!       


​Wagner
Comments

Various Artists - Meditation Room 

21/11/2016

Comments

 
ambient / electronic / experimental
Unexplained Sounds Group
facebook
Picture
Picture
check our our t-shirts
A six tracks compilation (with a hidden bonus video) that has musicians Clinker, Giacomelli, Sonologyst, Bedtime for Robots, Kshatriy and Downscope, here we have another exponential crescent level of fearless experimental insinuation. With no rules or boundaries, this diversified, spiritual and futuristic ambient album is marked by a transcendental calmness, and an unbreakable disposition to take its listeners far beyond the ordinary levels of existence, and throughout the entire cosmos. 

With remarkable peculiarities, this cosmically balanced ambient album builds entire universes in apparently simple rhythms, and everything you have to do is to let yourself go, anywhere these tracks will lead you. Of course, these six songs are from different artists, so obviously you will feel that each one of them has its own astounding identity. With the prospect of being categorized as a promising light, with the sensorial landscapes that the tracks bought into the darkness of its shapes, here we have a great set of melodic prisms, conglomerated in the vicinity of a marvelous layout of infinite serenity and fragile cataclysm. Nonetheless, being exceedingly concentrated in an intense panel of ambient cosmogony, this compilation is made to please a very specific audience, remarkable and avid enthusiasts of ambient space music. Otherwise, it will sound very boring to anyone who is not pleased with the genre. 

An adventurous and miraculous journey, Meditation Room is a very intelligent compilation. Like the title itself explains, it can be a great guideline for sessions of meditation too, since its deeply calm and peaceful tracks are experienced journeys that can teach you how to travel to the interior of your own soul. But you have really to detach yourself from everything, and submerge your spirit into the dimensional vastness of the music, to enjoy this experience meaningfully, gracefully and efficiently. 

Since every track is usually very long, each one of them is a journey in its own right, and you don’t have to necessarily listen to all of these tracks in a mandatory sequence, if you don’t want to. You are totally free to do “separate” travels if you want, and I think this will amplify your experience while traveling through the vast surreal dialogues of each one of these marvelous songs.  

Meditation Room really is that kind of album perfect to listen in the dark, with your eyes closed. If you let yourself go, the music will lead you throughout an imperial journey of transcendence, peacefulness and calmness, and your soul will eventually heal to the point of fusion, as you stay bound to wake up in a completely different world.  


​Wagner
Comments

Tremulaant - Wasteland

21/11/2016

Comments

 
electronic / ambient
bandcamp
Picture
Picture
check out our shirt designs
Released recently, on November 16, Wasteland is the second full length of a talented Russian musician, known only as Tremulaant. With thirteen tracks, being them Desolated, Cargo Cult, Retrovirus, Syndicate, Utopia, Echoes, Mood Swings, Disturbia, Manipulated Living, Afterglow, Uniform Dreams, Damaged Goods and Hyperpower, Wasteland is a more sinister and shadowy album, with melodies settled in a more distant, majorly permissive and bizarre configuration.

Nonetheless, it has some beautiful melodies. With the predominance of serene and calm rhythms, on Wasteland, the listener can experience a quieter and gentle soul transfiguration, on harmonies where discreet electronic beats are disguised in the silent blasts of a more uniform cohesive dynamic. Characteristically more ambient than its predecessor, Wasteland is a more ecstatic album, that brings on the tenure of its interesting musical subject a more mysterious and exotic approach. With songs shorter than usual, this album is way more influenced on minimalist electronics than its predecessor, showing an audacious degree of change in style. With some beautiful melodies all the way through, Wasteland certainly can be considered a very good album, and a decent surprise, that greatly summarizes the astonishing musical abilities of this unknown musician, that presents himself only by the nom de plume of Tremulaant. Exploring an intelligent level of experimentation, here we can testify the surprising evolution the artist has consciously dedicated upon his music, since he works towards very different spheres of sound.     
A little ecstatic sometimes, nonetheless, Wasteland is a great artistic achievement, that rationalizes a severe punctuation in what concerns a vibrant and lucid artistry. With tracks brilliantly conceived, and walking towards a moonlight of sonorous magnificence, what we have here is a groundbreaking confluence of musical intuition, working towards a self-sufficient goal of experience, composition and inspiration.

With tracks reminiscent of smooth electronica brightly executed at the zone of a highly diminished and ethereal horizon, concentrated in a volatile dose of simple connective originality, as an ordinary sadness that comes and goes, Wasteland is a fruitful sonorous minimalist electronic ambition, made to sound as a purely evocative state of the art realm. Bound to break rules, and sound freshly provoking, rebuilding and reconstructing in the innermost intricate details the vivid colors of opaque harmonies never to be found outside this particular work,  Wasteland is a very good album, inevitably bound to conquer all the hearts of experimental electronica lovers all over the world. 


Wagner
Comments

Brieviews part 16

20/11/2016

Comments

 
Picture
Picture
We have t-shirts. We know you have some too, but they're not the same.

Mök - Kamikaze Slug

black metal / crust punk
Spotify
facebook
Picture
Sometimes strange thoughts appear in my mind. This time the sentence: "blackened crust punk played by people who can actually play their instruments" popped-up halfway through the second song. With chainsaw-guitars, eerie vocals, grunts and brutally dynamic drums these guys actually created a stunning piece of work. Darkthrone or Mayhem come to mind but also extreme hardcore punk of bands like Amebix. The well-played and quite varied combination of both styles make this a raunchy and filthy delight to listen to, perfectly suited to squatted building parties and grungy underground venues. Recommended stuff...

Malacoda - Ritual Aeterna 

symphonic metal
facebook
Picture
Hailing from Canada, symphonic metal horde Malacoda comes up with a dark, horror inspired ep. These sixs track are loaded with immersive tempos, excellent guitar play and plenty of keyboard sounds. The end result reminds me of something between Dimmu Borgir, Nightfall, Moonspell and Kamelot, which obviously means that this music is epic as hell. My favorite track is 'I Got A Letter' but there's a lot of gothic goodness to be found on this thing. Fans of dark melodic metal surely can't go wrong with this. There's plenty of variation, tonnes of atmosphere and enough energy to keep you rocking...

Venkman - ​Thunder Thief // Some Rainbows

funk / alternative
soundcloud
facebook
Picture
Right, time to explore something completely different for a while, which takes us all the way to this English act and their uplifting funk. I reviewed their work before (read) so I was curious about these two songs. With good reason too. This is stuff for world music festivals and sunlit family events. 'Thunder Thief' has a warm and dynamic sound, possibly inspired by traditional African music. The second song, 'Some Rainbows' is my favorite of the two. It brings a touch of indie rock, a dash of ska and loads of soul together to create something you just have to dance to. This goes right into may day-to-day playlist.

Rodney Cromwell - Fax Message Breakup

synthpop / electronic
bandcamp
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Time to put on our dancing boots and enjoy some gloomy dancefloor fillers. This ep apparently was inspired by the infamous break-up between Phil Collins and his second wife but don't let that confuse you. The title track is a Depeche Mode meets OMD meets Pet Shop Boys track which will definitely cause some ass-shaking. I also really dig the Cure inspired guitar line in this one. The remixes range from strange disco to even stranger techno tunes but are nonetheless quite joyful tunes to light up your Sunday blues. The vocals say "I can't do this anymore", but I personally hope he'll do this more often...

Dead High Wire - Satellite State Brain Drain

post punk / alternative / indie
Kinky Star
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure to introduce these guys on our website (read) and now they return with a brand new ep. This new release contains four tracks and showcases the evolution of the band. Opener 'The Germans' for example reminds me of acts like Cabaret Voltaire. while 'Defectors'  is a damn immersive rocker. 'The Grey Zone' and 'Chains'  punk things up a bit but still remain loyal to the whole post punk and indie atmosphere. I specifically like the first two tracks. Somehow they feel like they have the power to attract a lot of new fans. But rest assured, this whole ep is a prime example of energy being put to good use. Awesome ep.

Flayed - XI Million

hard rock
Kaotoxin
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Hell yeah, my favorite French rockers return with a new ep, one that once again blasts with energy and adrenaline. What you get on this ep is exactly what you would expect from a band like Flayed: heavy blues-infused rock 'n roll with rough vocals and that always awesome Hammond organ. If you're into everything between Deep Purple, AC/DC and Black Crowes, you should get your hands on this gem. The opener and title track 'XI Million' remains my favorite but I'm sure that these five fine tunes will blast through my speakers a lot from now on. Oh, and there's a smashing version of CCR's 'Fortunate Son' on this one too. 

Maira - Maira

black metal / shoegaze
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
I never really understood the whole "blackgaze" thing. Ok, the bands blend shoegaze with black metal but the genre still sounds like black metal to me, perhaps a bit more psychedelic but still. That is, until these guys from Austria showed up in my inbox. On their debut ep, they actually manage to shatter my doubt about this genre. While these two songs are still infused with a decent dose of black metal, Maira comes up with clean vocals and, well, actual shoegaze and post rock. The result is somewhat surprising but nonetheless highly interesting. I will keep an eye our for these guys, and I suggest you do the very same thing.

Killer 4 - Killer 4

grunge / alternative rock / punk
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Those Italians sure know how to rock, and Killer 4 are here to prove exactly that. With their sleazy blend of grunge and stoner rock, dressed in a filthy punk attitude, these guys want to rock your socks off. For me, this really is a nice throwback into the nineties where the guitars were distorted, the vocals were raspy and the drums blasted the whole thing forward with a lot of energy. There are five songs on this ep, all guaranteeing a wicked and wild rock 'n roll party. You take care of the booze and the girls and Killer 4 will take care of the raunchy soundtrack for your nineties themed ​debauchery.

Nick Noro - Vietnamm

rock 
bandcamp
Picture
The frontman for American metal/hardcore band Survival comes up with an interesting piece of rock music. Although the music doesn't seem to be very complicated, it's not easy to place this in a certain category. I hear flashes of English punk rock, some influences from bands like Sisters Of Mercy, Killing Joke, or The Damned. There are samples and electronics, but most of all, there is sheer energy and some damn immersive pieces of kick-ass rock music. The whole comes with a tremendous in-your-face attitude which makes this ep quite irresistible for fans of pure  and uncompromised rock music. 

Birthday Kicks/Screaming Dead Balloons - Tonight at Vault Relics

post punk / alternative rock
Vault Relics
Birthday Kicks
Screaming Dead Balloons
Picture
Speaking about in-your-face rock music, here's a nice 7" for your listening pleasure. Side A features Greek fuzz-rockers and their immersive version of 'She Talks To Rainbows' (originally a Ramones song). Of course, in this case the original will always remain better but this sure is one damn good version. Side B brings the gloomy post punk from fellow countrymen Screaming Dead Balloons. This is my favorite of the two, combining lingering guitars with noise rock and a hint of psychedelic rock. So yeah, I'd say "check it out", it's a nice addition to your already impressive collection.

Chanvre - Valkyrie Mecanique

alternative rock / noise rock
Amazon
facebook
Picture
By now, we at Merchants Of Air know France as a country with headstrong musicians doing their thing, regardless of trends or genres. Take this trio for example. They're armed with guitars, bass, drums and a bunch of effect pedals so you might expect quite anything. Yet, even then your expectation might be wrong. Once you press play, you'll be engulfed in a whirlpool of noise rock, post punk, psychedelic rock, sludge, math rock and sheer weirdness, all accompagnied by French vocals. The result is a strange but nonetheless enjoyable ep that just might get you dancing or banging your head. The choice is yours...

Dark Clarity -  Dark Clarity

hard rock / heavy metal
facebook
Picture
Dark Clarity is a melodic rock band from Finland. Although they formed back in 2008, several line-up changes slowed down the growth of the band, only now resulting in a first release. Judging from the songs here, those setbacks didn't stop them from becoming a heavy rocking band with an eye for epic heavy metal. My favorite song here is the uptempo 'False God' which even reminds me a bit of Helloween. Other bands that come to mind, include Manowar, Iron Maiden, Gravedigger and Saxon. Not a bad set of names to be compared with. I hope their line-up now remains solid so they can start conquering the metal scene...

Anal Trump - That Makes Me Smart

grindcore
bandcamp
Picture
With Travis Ryan of Cattle Decapitation on vocals, San Diego grindcore outfit Anal Trump comes up with a short and vicious assault. The longest song on this album is eighteen seconds long and I had to listen four times while writing this thing. So yes, this is sick, gore grindcore in perfect Anal Cunt / Napalm Death tradition. It comes with a lot of shit that someone named Donald Trump has been spewing out, like 'I'd Date My Daughter', 'Build That Wall' and 'Breastfeeding Is Gay'. So if you miss Seth Putnam, hate Donald Trump, think music should be torturous and have no problem with the fact that downloading this release will last longer than actually playing it, you need this.


Morbid Panzer - Only The Total Death

black metal / thrash metal
Into Dungeons
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Since we're dwelling in the putrid extremes of the metal scene, here's a brutal piece of blackened thrash metal for to add to vulgar little pleasures. German horde Morbid Panzer comes up with two songs that will tear your ears off your head. Grinding guitars, pounding drums and screams from the deepest pits of hell will surround you and you will bang your head uncontrollably. The ep reminds me of those old black metal albums from acts like Mayhem, Impaled Nazarene or Darkthrone. So fans of everything other people might find disgusting, get your hands on this brutal gem. You know you want to.

Cancer - Terminal

black metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Right, let's go even deeper into the sound of utter despair and haunting imagery. Our infernal search for the sickest, grimmest and downright terrifying music now brings us to Australian horde Cancer. The band consists of members of Deadspace and Inquinamentum, so I reckon there has been a lot of experience in these musical regions. Musically, this five-track ep is one of the creepiest depressive black metal releases I've heard in awhile. Fierce, primitive and crushing black metal, accompagnied by frightful howls will definitely reappear in your nightmares. This is only suited for seasoned black metal adepts, that's for sure.

Harmonic Generator - Skull

punk / alternative rock
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Hurray, here is part 3 of Harmonic Generator's 'Heart, Flesh, Skull & Bones' tetralogy. Once again, these Frenchmen throw a bunch of high-energy punk rock songs in our faces. They borrow elements from old school hard rock, noise rock and every other guitar-based energy producing genre and turn the whole thing into a rock 'n roll party you can't resist. Opener 'Dreams & Tears' is my favorite on this ep but I suggest every fan of alternative rock music to check this out. And while you're at it, get your hands on the others as well and join me in waiting for the final act in this rock-opera.

Shroud Eater/Dead Hand - Split

doom / sludge
Southern Druid Records
Shroud Eater
Dead Hand
Picture
We end this edition of Brieviews with a crushing steamroller in the form of a 7" by two bands from the American stoner doom scene. Shroud Eater kicks off with an immersive piece of music, driving on monolithic riffs and strong vocals. Fans of acts like Yob, Elder and Conan will be absolutely thrilled with this track. Dead Hand drags the whole thing deeper into the noisy sludge scene but their track is equally immersive and enjoyable, if you're into eardrum-ripping guitars. This track also contains a beautiful psychedelic passages, which only adds to the overall quality of this release. Doomers, you know what to do!!!


​Serge
Comments

Tremulaant - Shivers 

16/11/2016

Comments

 
electronic / ambient
bandcamp
Picture
Picture
support Merchants Of Air, check out our shirt designs
A terrific and very smooth album by Tremulaant, an unknown Russian musician that makes a wonderful mixture of different genres, like electronica, ambient music and indietronica, all perfectly inserted in a very dynamic and consistent layer of experimental beauty and objectivism, Shivers has sixteen tracks: Love Is Not Enough, Zephyr, Era Vulgaris, Enemy, Pale Memories, December, Horizon, Love Is Not Enough (Again), Sehnsucht, Doppelganger, Low Profile, Aurora, Warm Whale, Hopes, Insignia and Venom Of Tradition. A little more than one hour long, Shivers manages to be a categorical album, filled with an exotic and philosophic proficiency, that organizes in the hidden harmonies of its opacity a fragile beauty, underlined over a poetic attempt to capture an epic moment of existence.

With beauty, melancholy and serenity, all of these sixteen tracks are compact configurations of ephemeral moments, perfectly understood over a craft of genius rhythmical consonance. A marvelous journey into the inner depths of an emotional rapture, Shivers captures each and every soul of colorful monastic harmonies, compromised over a feeling of sonorous expansive vastness. Otherwise, you could just feel yourself to be lying down in an ethereal universe, where everything you see is made of a deranged breakdown, of all the things you never felt. Surprising the listener with a meltdown of different styles, albeit arranged in a coherent harmonic layout, this album is an unbelievable masterpiece, that will take your soul into an everlasting journey of exhilarating paradox and divine exultation. 

Impossible to be completely understood, this album has so much mesmerizing tonalities and relentless boundaries, that you cannot fully comprehend it consciously. With a remarkable audacity that has everything imposed over a sonorous stratosphere of remarkable wonder, Shivers is not just a state of the art work, impregnated with a highly stunning degree of philosophical sensibility, but explodes within your soul while creates an inextricable universe of innovative  colors under your head. And this is just the first impression. If you listen to this album more than one time, you will just feel yourself ashamed of having not listened to this before.

An immensurable work of art, never to be duplicated or imitated, Shivers is a golden pearl of the underground. An unparalleled album that no other work in the history of music can match, here we have the perfect matrimony of a highly ingenious technical ability with the uttermost emotional sonorous intuition that anybody in this world could ever think of. With prominent allegorical melodies, that reproduces several states of the soul, Shivers is a colossal and dimensional masterpiece, with no rules to be held above its own principles of beauty, grace, timelessness and sensibility.       



Wagner
Comments

Cosmicleaf Records - Downtempo Cherries

15/11/2016

Comments

 
electronic / ambient
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Picture
support Merchants Of Air, check our our shirt designs
Downtempo Cherries is a bright, astounding and recently released Chill out/ Ambient compilation album by Greek label Cosmicleaf Records. With ten tracks – being them E 75, by Fourth Dimension, Freedom, by Stimulus Timbre, Feel the groove, by Zero Cult, Go Back, by Dense, Trace, by Kick Bong, Pelagio, by Stefan Torto, Mentor, by Maluns, No Borders, by Side Liner & Aviron, Synthonauts, by Cydelix and Suduaya, and Masala Putri, by Chronos – what we have here is certainly a great compilation, able to satisfy you in each and every possible aspect. With a smooth and very soft sound, bounded in a futuristic style, with cosmic and transcendental grooves, this compilation reunites the greatest exponents of the genre.

With a versatile charismatic sound, bound to a tranquility never seen or heard before, this album is beyond incredible: despite its calm and superbly lucid atmospheres, the record is never boring. Enthusiastically sincere, and transcending melodic lapses of time, each and every track are a sensitive journey towards the unknown. A profound and vivid travel throughout the soul of the genre, in its purest form. 

Viciously epic, and amazingly demanding, on the other hand, this tracks are as soft and deep as the best masterpieces of the genre could possibly be. With extricate and detailed nuances, colorful rainbows and detached semicircles emerge from the desirable holes that emanates from the dreamlike notes that compose the magic atmospheres and powerful harmonies, that denotes the universe on which these melodies came from. A parallel universe where colors, dreams, sounds and sensibilities are bound to be just one inextricable thing. 

Inevitably, you are doomed to be bored, if this is not you’re genre of music. With an understandable uniformity that captures a hallucinatory and organically organized shape of harmonies and balances, these tracks will sound the same, if you’re not really into the chill out modern sphere of sound. With an intensely conceptualized stream of protuberant styles, that, at a certain level, restrain boundaries and limits to a very distinct sound frame, these chill out ghosts and dreams may leave you intoxicated while listening to it. Unfortunately, what we have here is a higher dose of the genre, in an exceedingly concentrated form, which makes this compilation implausible to be appreciated by newcomers or amateurs alike. Nonetheless, it will sound perfect for the ones already introduced, familiarized or enthusiastically crazy about the genre! A perfect compilation, no doubt about it!              


Wagner
Comments

Csigo - Rite Of Sounds

2/11/2016

Comments

 
electronic / industrial / noise / avant garde
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Picture
Support Merchants Of Air, check out our shop
An album that opens with a song titled 'Life Is Noise Around Me', you might start to expect a challenging listening experience. You could be right about that too. In fact, at first listen, this album really might sound somewhat unconventional. Yet, sometimes "challenging" and "unconventional" result in something interesting and that's exactly what's happening here. Let's see if I can guide you through this one.

Csigo is a singer-songwriter and guitar player from Hungary who played and plays in bands like Dubcity Fanatikz, Anima Sound System and Beat Dis. However, don't let those references fool you, because on this solo album, Csigo does things quite different. This has nothing to do with dub, rock or even techno music, although at times it's quite danceable. So what is it? Well, basically, it's the lovechild between eighties avant garde electronics and rhythmic noise.

Opener 'Life Is Noise Around Me' and follower 'Interplanetary' remind me of acts like Suicide and Throbbing Gristle, while on other occasions Crash Course In Science, The Normal or even Prurient come to mind. That being said, yes, this is a heap of minimal but dark electronics, perfectly suited for those industrial dancefloors. 'Vexation' even takes the "industrial" tag quite seriously, being a droning and repetitive piece of music.

In all, this is a strange and harsh album, one which I would recommend to all you dark electronics freaks out there. Perhaps not to the people who are into easy-digestible dance music, but for those who dare to experiment and seek deep, dark music to accompany the noises in their heads. The last track, 'Blank Look', might terrify you a bit, but don't worry, it's just music... I hope...


​Serge
Comments

Sonologyst - Electrons – A Scientific Essay

31/10/2016

Comments

 
electronic / experimental
Unexplained Sounds Group
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our shirts
An interesting electronic album, with dense and heavy dark ambient characteristics, Electrons – A scientific essay, by Sonologyst, is a tense, vague and dubious ambient album, relying on abysmal, anxious and afflictive insinuations. Cosmic, disturbing and decisively intense, this is an axiomatic album, that creates a universe of disturbing and fulfilling sonorous premises.    

With a nervous and corrosive sonorous surface, the album correlates its intense uneasiness with thin and distrustful ambiguous sensibilities, combining the darkness of its truth to the veracity of its causal reality of desperation and demise. Eventually falling into the magma of more usual dark ambient tonalities, Electrons – A scientific essay, creates into the layout of its magnificent sphere of dreadful harmonies an interesting journey of lethargy and sleepiness, heading for a somber and dark world, devoid of a perpetual omniscience.  

With turbulent elements that apparently departs from what appears to be, initially, a lucid dream, all sonorous devices here are eager to incorporate an hyperbole of different transient vigorous personalities into the music, using as a layout for the soul of the music a sincere darkness that never fades away. And using this premise as a starting point, we have the imagination of a devoured anxiety falling into an endless void of wrongful exhilaration, lust and protectionism, forever lost into the never ending demise of a darkness that will always remain. 

All in all, this is what Electrons – A scientific essay, by Sonologyst, sounds like. With its nine tracks that apparently came from outer space, this album provides to the listener the overview of a distant cosmic sound, with origins certainly out of this world, having been perfectly configured with all the correct elements of the most ambitious, fearless, voracious and agonizing components that dark ambient, as a genre, could have ever assimilated or discovered, in a distorted layer that even the universe itself, in all of its vastness, is yet to absorb.  

A very good and decent work, certainly this album will please all the enthusiasts of the genre. Finely arranged, composed and decently produced, Electrons – A scientific essay, by Sonologyst, contains the greatest elements of the genre, without limiting itself to be just another release. With all of its transient devices converging correctly, the stylistic veracity and the sharp truth that compels this album to the path of the fundamental albums of the genre certainly will find its way to the audience, with the potential to be hailed as a state of the art work.           


​Wagner
Comments

Various Artists - Fresh Horizons of Goa v2 – by Moonstar and Rhino

31/10/2016

Comments

 
psychedelic trance / goa / electronic
Goa Records
Amazon
Picture
Picture
support Merchants Of Air, check out our shirts
A Trance compilation released by Californian label Goa Records, and compiled by electronic music legends Moonstar, also known by his more popular nom de plume Ovnimoon, from Chile, and DJ Rhino, from Greece, the double album contains eighteen of the most energized and furious tracks ever created in Trance music, on virtually all subgenres, from Goa to Neo and Progressive, amongst many others.

Divided in two cd’s, the first one has the following tracks: Rules of Levitation, by PsyBuddy, Physical Effort, by Dee, Vaisnava, by Analog Minds, Supernova, by GalactrixX, D.N.A, by Solar Waves, Ancient Tales, by Yar Zaa, Bounty Hunter, by Barby, Luminous Void, by Recursion Loop and Sweet Bitches, by Electit. The second CD has the following track list: Lost In Time, by Trickster, Attraction, by Spectro Senses, Polos, by Sinergia, Living The Dream, by Xamek, Misdirection, by tinY, Revelation, by The Unknown, Ghost of Nebula, by Goa Luni, Outer Space In My Mind, by Lectro Spektral Daze and Silent Sweeper (Cactus Arising Remix), by Omnivox.

A great compilation that reunites the most refined and distilled tracks ever produced on the genre, this exhilarating selection of songs certainly supplies an enormous niche within the Trance music scene. While this genre is primarily characterized by an harmonic noisy repetition, it appeals mostly to a very specific audience, working splendidly in live concerts and electronic music festivals. But, of course, if you are an enthusiast of the genre, obviously you can appreciate a great compilation like this one also at the comfort of your own house.

Characterized primarily by a uniformity that satisfies the listener by inserting him in a very familiar confluence of pronounced shattering sounds, these Trance tracks, that amazingly explores all of its different subgenres, reveals in detail the stylistic zone of harmonies upon which the path of its cohesive dynamics is centered. With the tonalities of the rhythms being constant, most of them converge to a very coherent stance, that summarizes altogether the sonorous principles upon which the genre relies on. However, with each track being approximately seven minutes long, you have to be a very enthusiastic fan of the genre, to be proud of such a collection of sounds. 

With a firm and visible pattern of evaluation that circles the harmony, making the sound intrinsic to its own melody resurface below the lurid challenges of a sphere that breaks the boundaries between antagonistic cadences, most tracks in this compilation are really centered upon a perfect match that counterbalances melody and resonance, revering time loops that shifts the breaks between continuity and bilateral noise. 


While I cannot say I’m particularly attracted to Trance music, this compilation really sounded astonishing to me. Beautiful, transcendental, expansive and true to the genre, enthusiasts of Trance music certainly have a lot of motives to celebrate. While I haven’t found any bad track that in my opinion should be tackled out, this compilation really outstood itself for its cohesion, coherence and beauty, celebrating the genre as a whole, without forgetting its most elusive elements, nor neglecting its diverse subgenres. While maybe I could possibly point it out as a prospective fault the excessively long duration of each track, I know that this is peculiar to this type of music, given the fact that Trance is a genre especially fit for live performances, as its popularity can be properly seen and evaluated at the prominence of the genre in the dance music scene worldwide, and electronic music festivals.                     

Undoubtedly a very good compilation, Fresh Horizons of Goa v2, with tracks appropriately selected by two authorities on the scene – artists Moonstar and Rhino – definitely can be considered among the best ever created on the genre. Even people who are not familiar with Trance music will feel amused listening to it, working also as a great introduction to the genre. Certainly, imposes respect, and deserves to make history, having enough strength on its axis to reach its audience with power and impact.  


​Wagner
Comments

Kick Bong - Destiny 

31/10/2016

Comments

 
ambient / electronic
bandcamp
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our shirts and support Merchants Of Air
A renowned name in the contemporaneous electronic music scene, Kick Bong – artistic nom de plume of French artist Franck Jousselin – released his most recent full length recently, on Greek label Cosmicleaf Records. Titled Destiny, this is an album filled with different colors and textures, impregnated with transcendental vibrations and consonantal dynamics, that mesmerizes the senses with all of its transient devices that celebrates a groundbreaking mixture of several different genres of electronic music, like chillout, downtempo and lounge music. With nine tracks, being them Time in Suspense,
Voices from Heaven, Ange Gardien, Traveling in his Head, I was asleep, Such Love, I Love this World, Destiny and Whirlwind, this album presents us Kick Bong at his best form. Experimenting, creating and regenerating the most effective and orderly sidelines of his music, being immersive, harmonious and methodic, while highly delusional, abstemious and cautious, the artist manages to be amazingly experimental and profoundly lucid at the same time. 

With a great set of songs able to inspire impressively high connotations of beauty, resurfacing and resounding with his very unique sonorous identity, in Destiny the songs are mostly meditative, transcendental, serene, calm, melodic and deeply poetic, with the preponderance of melodic resonances that infuses into his music a consistent layer of opacity and light, at the same time. Like an eternal rise of a poetic spring that acknowledges the importance of solitude, Destiny certainly brings to the listener a more reflexive, philosophic and deep side of Kick Bong’s music, being hugely transcendental in all spheres dispersed by the rhythms of the music. Certainly, all of his fans will be put into a state of grace, while listening to this. Destiny is definitely art, in the shape of electronic music.  

An amazing album, soon to be considered a great part in the history of electronic music scene, Destiny is filled, from the very first track to the last one, with beauty, elegant traces of self-discovery, poetic daydreams of lucid harmonies and exceedingly monumental eloquent charm. A marvelous form of majestic sonorous utopia, while extremely recognizable at the same time, Destiny, by Kick Bong, is a fundamental album. The future of electronic music, and the shape of things to come. 

A daydream in sonorous form, impregnated with a sense of devotional paroxysm, this is an album with potential to challenge the basis of the underground music. A milestone that obviously cannot go unnoticed, this is a major work that deserves to be hailed by its audience.         


Wagner
Comments

Aviron - Long Journey

31/10/2016

Comments

 
ambient / electronic
Cosmic Leaf
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Picture
Support Merchants Of Air, check out our shirt designs
Recently released by Greek label Cosmicleaf Records, Long Journey, by Aviron, is an ambient three tracks album, marked by deep and thoughtful harmonies, that comprehends the spirited meaning of expansion and rhythm. With serene, but constant melodies, that revolves around a sensational sonorous inspiration that immerses the listener into a long journey of peaceful delusion, this work, albei being brief, is deeply atmospheric and intense. Like small sparks of impressionistic notes, the colorful and poetic rhythms, almost detached from the reality that mesmerizes the factual perceptions of the senses, drives you into a whole new world of interceptive vibrations, that captivates and disseminates grains of poetic beauty to a new level of delusional transcendence.       

Sometimes flerting with Psytrance, the three tracks herein – Long Journey, Solving The Mystery and Hateship – throws ambient music into a different level of existence, matching the perfect coexistence of an audacious thrill of artistic experimentation with the traditional approach that characterizes the genre. With powerful rhythms and an astounding dissonance that immediately captivates the listener’s audition, groundbreaking dance elements surprisingly collide perfectly with the surface of the music, revealing a refreshing element of astonishing musical magnificence that makes this fantastic masterpiece not just brilliant, but incredibly fundamental for all enthusiasts of the genre. 

A powerful EP that really captivates the listener at the very first seconds, until the very end of it, Long Journey – although being a little bit short, in fact – is a profound and methodical exercise into electronic music, masterly mixing ambient, trance, psytrance and dance music elements, that reorganizes into the deep spherical layer of a protuberating art the immense and diverse abilities of an artist that really knows what he is doing. A great gift for the electronic music scene as a whole, Long Journey is powerful as an EP, and each one of its three songs individually can be categorized as state of the art symbols, bounded to make history in the annals of the genre.  

A powerful EP that everybody should listen, Long Journey is an incredible and lucid musical work, that no description in words can match. A groundbreaking masterpiece, whose only failure is being too brief. Otherwise, it would have been an epic contribution to the history of electronic music.            


Wagner
Comments

Stimulus Timbre & Fourth Dimension - Dancing Fields

31/10/2016

Comments

 
electronic / ambient
Cosmic Leaf
Amazon
Stimulus Timbre
Fourth Dimension
Picture
Picture
check out our shirt designs
A beautiful collaboration of electronic music artists Stimulus Timbre and Fourth Dimension, in a three tracks album – being them Ode to Terra, Strange Beauty and
Dancing Fields – despite its brevity, the record manages to be a beautifully serene, poetically cadenced and amazingly relaxed chill out masterpiece, that will enticingly surprise your ears, and flow through your senses as a mesmerizing journey of colorful reactions, eager to bring the paradise to your senses, and intensify the interior capacities of your hidden sensibilities.

A great journey of amazingly transient and ethereal soundscapes, these three tracks travel throughout your mind, unraveling a curious sense of serenity and freedom. As a great part of you deals with the fact that this beautiful music floats through the air in a transcendental journey of harmony and strength, the explicit poetry that flows through the beautiful melodies dance in the air, modifying colors and empty spaces,   all around the hidden layers of its happily effective inner universe. As the songs revolves in your senses, a wonderful ocean of stars dance above your eyes, setting a deep pattern of everlasting grace, that perpetuates within your thoughts the majestic, lucid and vivid harmonies of this album. Despite excessively brief, these tracks are not just impressive, but heavenly great and full of life. 

A marvelous and impressive example of chill out, the amazing joint effort of the two artists herein – Stimulus Timbre and Fourth Dimension – really requests a follow up. The astounding result produced three of the finest tracks ever written on the genre. With such poetic harmonies, and wonderful melodies perfectly synchronized with the sensational amazement of an infinite universe hidden inside the spectrum of a magnificent sonorous journey, Dancing Fields will certainly be a worldwide success among the enthusiasts of the genre. 

A perfect example that summarizes the possibilities hidden within the genre, Stimulus Timbre and Fourth Dimension captures in their collaboration an effective expansion of permanent harmonies, that dilates dimensional rhythms into one vigorous sonorous order. A glorious state of the art work, Dancing Fields is an album to be listened one thousand times, if not many, many more!    
     

​Wagner
Comments

Deadly Oak – Inner

17/10/2016

Comments

 
ambient / electronic
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our shirt designs
Another project of Spanish sound designer Sycantrhope, Deadly Oak is an ambient musical creation crafted in a multicolored layer, that drafts its peculiar incisions from a panel of several different musical variations. In his social media page, he describes the genre he works with as dark, deep, electro wave, dark wave, witch house, avant-garde and dub, and it certainly sounds as a mixture of all those influences.  

Distinguished by a very colorful and protuberant sonorous rapture, Inner, by Deadly Oak, is a unique album, that arranges and organizes electronic melodic elements in more ascendant patterns, with an unusual combination of harmonies. Specially beautiful, poetic, brilliant and decisively eclectic, it is an incisively definitive electronic music masterpiece, exceedingly uncommon and different for Sycantrhope, as Inner, produced under the alias of Deadly Oak, relies less on atmosphere, and more on melodies and rhythm. Another thing that should be pointed out as well is the fact that, being a lot more colorful than his other musical projects, this album is not grounded on sinister, subtle and tense evolving rhythms, nor intuitive agonizing sonorous prospects. So here, as Deadly Oak, Sycantrhope really explores another side of his creative ambitions, giving to its listeners a very different set of characteristics, perfectly lined up with the vision of his unprecedented musical talent.

But, boy… what a magnificent album! Not just one of the best I’ve heard from him, but one of the best albums of electronic music that I certainly have heard in a while! Greatly exploring colored harmonies, sentimental nuances and vibrating expansive rhythms, avant-garde elements are brilliantly highlighted on this album, which greatly exposes, in a very veiled form, some influences from vintage electronic of the 80’s. Rewinding a set of different emotions, happy, serene, resigned, despondent and elusive reactions permeates the musical lines throughout the tracks, all gifted with a serious sense of poetic and majestic correlations.

A sensational piece of work, that deserves to be seen as such, Inner, by Deadly Oak, is a great balance between sonorous shape and artistic sensibility, with a rewarding domain of the senses and a great sonorous configuration of bright energy and vital force. Eleven tracks that build a different kind of beauty inside your head, entering through your ears, and setting up a universe of elemental and soft uneasiness within your mind, Inner is an album that certainly can be classified as a great gift for all electronic music enthusiasts out there. A groundbreaking record, and a victory for the genre, you certainly can’t lose the chance on listening to this beautiful work.    


Wagner
Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>
    subscribe to our newsletter

    Genres

    All
    Acoustic
    Alternative
    Ambient
    Avant Garde
    Avant-garde
    Black Metal
    Blues
    Children
    Classical
    Country
    Crust
    Dark Ambient
    Dark Jazz
    Darkwave
    Death Metal
    Doom
    Dream Pop
    Drone
    Drum & Bass
    Dub
    Dubstep
    EBM
    Electro
    Electronic
    Ethereal
    Experimental
    Folk
    Folk Metal
    Funk
    Gothic
    Grindcore
    Grunge
    Hardcore
    Hard Rock
    Heavy Metal
    Hip Hop
    Hip-hop
    Idm
    Indie
    Industrial
    Instrumental
    Jazz
    Krautrock
    Martial
    Math Rock
    Metal
    Metalcore
    Neo Classical
    Neo-classical
    Neo Folk
    Neo-folk
    Noise
    Noise Rock
    Noise-rock
    Nu Metal
    Nu-metal
    Opera
    Pop
    Post Metal
    Post Punk
    Post Rock
    Progressive
    Psychedelic
    Psytrance
    Punk
    Reggae
    Rock
    Score
    Shoegaze
    Singer/songwriter
    Sludge
    Soul
    Southern Rock
    Speed Metal
    Stoner
    Symphonic Metal
    Synthpop
    Techno
    Thrash
    Triphop
    Trip-hop
    World

    Archives

    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015

Find us on

facebook
google+
twitter
tumblr
​
minds

About Us

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