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MNHM - Of Empires Past

5/5/2017

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euhm...
Consouling Sounds
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Here we go again, wandering in uncategorizable musical areas and wondering what the hell I am going to write about this album . Unsurprisingly, this album has been written and recorded by a Dutch band. I really wonder what's in the water over in The Netherlands. Many of their bands come up with original and exhilarating stuff, impossible to put a finger on. This is no exception, but it does have an awesome Dutch sound to it.

At least, the two first songs do. Titled 'A Show Of Might' and 'Equals Of Gods', these songs remind me of the music of their fellow countrymen Kong. With instrumental, progressive and immersive rock music, these two songs alone make the album worthwhile and the whole album is only beginning. After the massively energetic 'Equals Of Gods', the album starts blooming, as if those first two songs formed the stem and the sheer beauty is only now coming up.

I think the easiest way to describe this album is naming it "experimental post rock". Post rock is indeed a huge part of MNHM's music but they're not weary of incorporating other stuff, like the saxophone of Dead Neanderthals' Otto Kokke. With that, and with several passages, the free jazz elements appear, be it in a noisy kind of way. Yes, noise, because there is a lot of that to be found here too, along with its nasty brothers noise rock, math rock and sludge metal.

So maybe this will help: MNHM is what would happen if you lock Dead Neanderthals, Kong, Melvins, Swans, And So I Watched You From Afar, Yodok III and Frank Zappa into a rehearsal studio and force them to record an album. I know, that sounds like a list of people capable of putting an epic piece of work on the market and that is exactly what this album is, epic. Just listen to the action movie soundtrack worthy 'How Things End' or the doomy 'Rule Of Law'.

Oh well, The Dutch, what a strange kind of creative masterminds. You never really know what you're going to get (and I'll leave out the box of chocolate references, because Belgian chocolate is always better), but that is a good thing. My advice is simple, check it out, open your mind and allow this masterpiece to shock and awe you. You'll be in for several surprises and you will be astounded, I promise you.


​Serge
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Absently – Open Mind

2/5/2017

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progressive rock / instrumental
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Open Mind is an album by American musician Adam Bentley, under the alias Absently, to be officially released on May 10. Almost forty eight minutes long, the record has nine tracks: Introve, Dayzed, Interluhd, Out Of Orbit, Escape Pod, Schlipps, Patience, Wrath and Where Are We. An interesting instrumental album, with a masterly developed technique, and an exceedingly versatile musical layout, Open Mind brings in the vastness of its expansive twists a tremendously fantastic array of influences, that elevates to a groundbreaking level the resources of instrumental progressive rock, inserting a new path of colorful boundaries and patterns into the genre.

With intriguing melodies and ostensibly intense harmonies, Open Mind has a powerful system of digressions that exhilarates its uniqueness, engraved in the soul of the music. With the expansive layer of a more experimental and tenacious audacity, the musician really knows how to extrapolate the terms of his flexible musical aphorisms, generating into the flames of his style an unpredictable elusive sound, that discreetly flirts with post rock, and nu and post metal as well. Although I haven’t found this album to be a great masterpiece, with some passages apparently sounding a little repetitive, Open Mind is an album with an impressive conjuncture of amazing qualities, that surprisingly has shaped with the vibrating intonations of its universal  symmetry of playful sounds an inimitable style of its own. 

With a continual technique that allows him to explore candidly the vast possibilities of his own rhythms, the artist has created a maze of formidable dynamic intricacy, that solidifies in the extemporal sensibility of his own intuition the anticipation of a latent sonorous result, that offers to the listener the unavoidable distinction of a very singular sound, that remarkably reshapes itself, at the round of each track.  

An interesting album, that has on the verge of its progressive elements the lucid originality of a marvelous and exponentially creative artist, Open Mind is an experimental rock album that abundantly disperses the playfulness of extraordinary elements, ambitiously revoked at the epicenter of its own delighted fractal illusions. In the horizon of beautiful melodies and formidably elongated harmonies, this album will conquer the hearts of literally all genre enthusiasts. Certainly, reveals a tremendously talented exponent that has a lot to aggregate in the underground music scene.       


Wagner
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The Universe By Ear - The Universe By Ear

6/4/2017

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psychedelic rock / progressive rock / art rock
Czar Of Crickets
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Rock music comes in all forms these days, which I think is a good thing. There is hard rock, noise rock, post rock, progressive rock and so on, and it constantly seems to evolve as well. However, once in a while a band appears that seems to deviate from the norms, looks back while taking a step forward and welcomes a vintage sound to a new record. Personally, I love that evolution and I know that there are plenty of other people who will agree with me. ​Switzerland based The Universe By Ear is such a band. They describe their music as "psychedelic art rock" and add a questionmark to that. To them, it's not that important what their music is called, since it's an eclectic blend of old school sounds. In that I definitely agree, but then again, I'm a music reviewer so I have to.  

So I'll start by summing up some bands that come to mind while I listen to The Universe By Ear: Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Yes, The Beatles, Porcupine Tree, The Mars Volta, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats. I know, that is quite an impressive list but it's also the best way to describe this music. These guys have been listening to all those classics and somehow found a way to let them slip into their own sonic creations. The songs on this album are psychedelic rock anthems with a complex song structure, progressive guitar solos, elaborate instrumental passages and amazing vocals. And still they are rather short.

Nonetheless, 'The Universe By Ear' is a stunning piece of old school psychedelic space rock, one that I would recommend to anyone who is into those brilliant classics by the aforementioned bands. I certainly can't wait to see these guys live. That has got to be an intense and hypnotic experience. So check it out, get your hands on a copy of this album and prepare for a sonic journey through space. You know you want to...


​Serge


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Kadinja – Ascendancy 

3/4/2017

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metalcore / progressive metal
Klonosphere
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Ascendancy is the debut album of French metalcore/ progressive metal group Kadinja, released in a partnership between the labels Klonosphere Records and Season of Mist. With ten tracks, the record is very interesting. Displays possessive and overwhelming melodies, that can be dynamic and static at the same time. Introducing several elements from other genres, Kadinja’s musical style is more singular and indefinable, and certainly prioritizes a formidable degree of originality, that standardizes a peculiar sonorous identity to their music, giving them a special place in the underground scene. With genuine and fearless compositions, Kadinja manages to be a defining group, that invades the musical scene with a promising, intriguing, volatile and authentic debut, that has placed them in the musical framework.

The metalcore appeal into their music – especially the interchanging clean and sober vocals with the more guttural and aggressive ones – has everything to guarantee their space among the enthusiasts of the genre. Reminding a little another prominent metalcore acts, like We Came as Romans, Kadinja depicts a very polished, refined and sophisticated style, unraveling a clear message in their debut, Ascendancy: that they are already musically mature, and they have all the necessary qualities to be major in the global underground scene.

Each and every track is more fascinating than its predecessor. The record only gets better and better as it progresses. The third song, Episteme, is infuriating, sentimentally sagacious and spectacularly sublime, and has on the crest of its melodies all the audacious anger of a restless and emotionally empty sour day. Carrying the true combative stream of life in each song, Kadinja reveals itself not only as an exceptionally relevant band, but as a vigorous and voraciously brutal musical and artistic force as well. 

Sincerely, there are no negative aspects to be pointed out on this album. With sensational, monumental, reflexive, painful and exhilaratingly intense and beautiful melodies, Ascendancy is virtually an extraordinary album, a true and fantastic state of the art work. Deserves to be slowly absorbed and appreciated. An exceedingly creative, dynamic and lucid musical work, filled with rapture and sincerity, Ascendancy is an impeccable, glorious and splendid record. Be sure you will simply love this amazing and lancinating debut, that deserves to be highlighted, and to make history.  

 
Wagner
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Brieviews 22

31/3/2017

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Lynhood - Septembre

ambient / experimental / shoegaze
Atypeek
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Lynhood is the solo project for French bassist Chloé Della Valle, founder of the Grenoble label. Lynhood is also a very interesting take on ambient, drones, noise pop and shoegaze. Armed with a bass guitar, her dreamy voice and a loop station, Lynhood creates textured pop songs with a gritty edge. That now results in this four track ep which at times is extremely melancholic. While opener 'Tree' is a gentle tune, 'White Emperor' is a tremendous tearjerker, gloomy and deeply introvert. In all, this ep is not an easy pill to swallow but certainly one worth the effort. It's simply another interesting take on drones and ambient. Try it out...

Duality - Archeology

metalcore / metal
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French metal act Duality come up with a complex but immersive take on progressive metal and metalcore, a genre I'm not always a big fan of. However, the three songs on this ep are laced with oriental influences, unusual vocal lines and tantalizing electronics, which make this thing a lot better than I expected. The songs are quite slow but still contain heaps of energy and grinding riffs. My personal favorite on this ep is 'Osiris', an intense piece of work that will often surprise the listener. I suggest you check it out, musical surprises are always a good thing as they open your mind for new things.

Never Train - Dnar

hard rock
Inverse Records
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They call it "street rock", but I think the term "hard rock" will fit the band very well. I mean, uptempo rockers with a dirty edge and plenty of power, both in the riffs and in the vocals, that spells hard rock in my book. Never Train, a band from Finland, does nothing really new but they did record three highly convincing pieces of good old fashioned rock 'n roll. There is a little bit of Skid Row in here, a dash of Ramones and even a touch of Guns 'n Roses. So this just can't go wrong. Opener 'First We Live' is my favorite. 'Hope In Youth' is a rocking dance floor filler and closer 'Dnar' is simply an uplifting piece of old school hard rock. You might need this...

Dominique Charpentier - L'attente

classical / ambient
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The email that contained this ep, also contained the words "It's a piano solo album", which is probably the truest thing I have ever read. On this ep, there is a piano and ten massively experienced fingers who gently help the instrument reveal its dreams. The five short pieces on this ep are soothing and minimal classical pieces that can lighten up every day. I don't care what genre you usually listen to, dear reader, but I strongly urge you to purchase this album. Music like this should be in everybody's collection. Everybody needs moments like these, moments to meditate and look into their own soul. This album can help you with that...

Vautour - Vautour

drum & bass / industrial metal
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With the energy of a metal album, French electronic act Vautour comes up with six massively energetic pieces of industrial music. Fans of Chase & Status or Pendulum will undoubtedly embrace this thing. There are references towards hardcore techno, dubstep, drum & bass and breakbeats but also towards rock and metal, be it a highly electronic form If you ever see a moshpit forming during a drum & bass gig, it will probably be while Vautour is playing live. In all, this debut is an interesting piece of work, one which will definitely get your dancing boots on. I can see good things happening for this act in the future.

Moonlight Prophecy - Eternal Oblivion 

progressive / thrash metal
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Philadelphia's Moonlight Prophecy is a Progressive, Thrash and Neoclassical Metal project from multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Lawrence Wallace, and that is pretty much all you need to know before getting your hands on this stunning ep. Mostly instrumental, this three-track is loaded with shredding riffs, epic guitar solos and a massive drum sound, all coming with a gloomy atmosphere. People have said that this compares to Nevermore meets Testament and I'm not going to disagree with that. Fans of epic, technical and immersive metal can easily trust this project to deliver the goods. So yep, recommended as hell, this one...

Era 9 - Warrior

nu metal
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This single by Montreal based rock band Era 9 is a very nice appetizer for their upcoming album (planned to be released in May). This song seemingly blends influences from Linkin Park, Paramore, Lacuna Coil and even Skrillex and throws them into one immersive piece of music. The result is a possible hard rock charts hit, a song that would do perfectly well as a Wrestlemania tune, for example. So yes, it's worth to check this out. I'm already curious for the upcoming full-length and if you're into anything that smells like nu metal, you should too...

Electric Floor - Fader

synthpop / new wave
Vipchoyo Sound Factory 
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With elements from indie rock, new wave and synth pop, this trio politely invites you to the dancefloor, especially if you are a fan of Echo & The Bunnymen, Psychedelic Furs, The Cure, Human League and so on. These five tracks seem to come directly from the eighties but will just as well please fans of modern day indie rock. Opener 'Bluedive' and the gloomy 'Borderland' are my favorites on this five track but all the songs are worth your attention. So yes, for a nostalgia trip, this is definitely a highly recommended ep and to be frank, I'd rather go see these guys on stage than Depeche Mode.

Headless Horseman - 47009

techno / industrial
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Speaking about invitations to the dancefloor, this one is something for the discotheques and dance festivals around the globe. Headless Horseman delivered a four track ep, loaded with beats and eerie soundscapes. Yet, instead of the regular 4/4 beats, this act gives the whole thing an industrial touch, reminding me of acts like Imminent, Sonar, Morgenstern or Synapscape. The opener, 'Widow's Peak' is my favorite here, along with the Scorn-like dark dub track 'The Day She Vanished'. So yeppers, for a techno record, this is a bloody good one, one that will find the way to my playlists quite often from now on.

Lonely The Brave - Diamond Days

alternative rock
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British band Lonely The Brave delivered a nice four track ep, named 'Diamond Days'. On this ep, the band comes up with small rock anthems, seemingly influenced by alternative rock, indie and post rock. Opener and title track 'Diamond Days' is a possible fan favorite, an intelligent rock anthem that would fit perfectly well in today's alternative rock community. 'Two Heads' is a bit heavier and 'Collider' is another awesome anthem. The ep closes with a nice version of 'The Rat', originally recorded by The Walkmen. In all, this ep might not be earth shattering but it's definitely a nice addition to your collection.

Misto - Infinite Mirrors

post rock
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This debut ep by Italian one-man post rock act Misto has been released last year but it only reached us a short while ago. Usually, when that happens, the release ends up in the pile of albums-we-don't-have-time-for but this time I'd like to make an exception. Why? Well, this is a very nice six-track ep, containing some gentle post rock tunes. This certainly is one of those ep that would perfectly fit in your massive post-rock playlists, there where Explosions, Godspeed, Mogwai, Caspian and Astronaut also roam. So go ahead, download these tunes help me in hoping that Misto will form a band and tour soon...

Grave Plague - The Infected Crypts

death metal
Give Praise Records
Redefining Darkness Records
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On to the extremes then, courtesy of American death metal horde Grave Plague. Their sole goal is to resurrect the old school version of death metal and on this two-track ep they do exactly that. With a sound that reminds me of something between Dismember and At The Gates, this quintet blasts two ferocious slabs of vintage death metal through my speakers at a very high paste. The whole thing is quite short but powerful enough to demolish a small suburb. So if you're into grinding riffs, sick grunts and pulverising tempos, this one should have a spot in your collection. Period.

HaatE - Crystal : Farewell

dark ambient / black metal
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Italian black ambient act HaatE returns with a mesmerizing and hypnotic ep, one that has everything it needs to be a solid reference to this dark and mysterious genre. Although mostly rooted in dark ambient, there are elements from black metal and the whole post-black/rock scene. The end result is a sonic journey that never disappoints, never gets stale and continuously contains this cold, eerie and haunting atmosphere. I can only recommend this thing to all you dark souls out there. For people like you, this music is comforting and calm while it's dark and scary for others. Great work, a must-have.

Kolfskop - Cambozola Superster

experimental rock
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The weirdest ep in this edition of Brieviews comes from Belgian trio Kolfskop. These guys from Ghent once had an idea about how music should sound, threw that overboard and started experimenting, influenced by Zappa, Waits, Beefheart and Primus. Now, they come up with this strange ep, one that has the words "avant-garde" written all over it. Nonetheless, this thing comes highly recommended because it's something you just don't hear very often anymore. Oh, and it's all in Dutch, but don't let that stop you. After all, plenty of Belgians are musical geniuses as well as completely mad.

Eli van Pike - Herzschlag

gothic / industrial metal
Darksign Music
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A German-American cooperation, deeply rooted in the dark industrial metal scene, that has got to be interesting. And it is, certainly for fans of bands like ASP, Oomph, Wolfsheim and so on. This single contains the gothic rock song 'Herzschlag' and a bunch of EBM/industrial/future pop remixes. Personally, I would have preferred one or two other songs on this single, just to add a touch of variation, but nonetheless, this is an interesting example of today's gothic scene. So I guess the choice is yours, and I strongly suggest checking this single out. If you like it, why not get the whole album?

Fork / Göttemia - Indre Enfold

punk
Kraftpest
Fork
Göttemia 
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And we end this edition of Brieviews with two bands from the Norwegian punk underground, bands that have been playing live and touring for years and became quite good friends. Fork comes up with two energetic punk songs, nudging towards alternative and noise rock but still raunchy enough to please hardcore punks. Göttemia adds three aggressive punk tunes to the mix, perfectly capable of getting that mosh pit started. Both acts seem to do exactly what they want, which obviously is in perfect punk tradition. So, punk of all ages, check this out. You'll love it.
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Pallbearer - Heartless

25/3/2017

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doom metal
Profound Lore
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A few days ago, my wife and I were talking about the evolution of some of the bands I have been reviewing over the years. Quite often, a band seems to select a certain genre to play, write a first album, do a bunch of gigs, go back into the studio to write new songs. Throughout those albums, you can sometimes notice the evolution from a beginning band to a well-attuned group that has learned a lot about making music. You can hear confidence, passion and experience.

Yesterday, I finally decided to take the new Pallbearer album for a spin, and guess what, I noticed those exact same things. It surprised me too, because for all I knew, Pallbearer was already at that point where confidence, passion and experience were present in the music. I have been a Pallbearer fan for several years. In my humble opinion, they are one of the best doom metal bands today. So yes, I was surprised to see that even a seasoned act like Pallbearer seems to evolve their style. 

Of course, that is not a bad thing, on the very contrary. Without further ado, I can honestly say that 'Heartless' is a breathtaking album, progressive doom rock at a very high level. I hear influences from King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Anathema, My Dying Bride and Black Sabbath, but most of all, I hear Pallbearer give the very best of themselves. Opener 'I Saw The End' is a very strong song, one that immediately made me like the whole album.

'Thorns' is a first highlight, an epic piece of doom rock which takes me back to the nineties and the seventies at the same time. 'Lie Of Survival' is a long, progressive rock song with a gloomy edge, which even brings some gothic rock acts to mind, be it the slow, depressive ones. I really love the guitar play on this one, along with the introvert, emotional vocals. And suddenly I think, "what would happen if Pallbearer and Depeche Mode worked together". But nevermind that.

'Dancing In Madness' is another highlight, and dare I say "a masterpiece"? This song only proves what I have been babbling about in the first two paragraphs: confidence, passion and experience. With plenty of emotion and tonnes of musical craftsmanship, this is undoubtedly one of the best songs Pallbearer have ever written. If Pink FLoyd were a metal band, this would have been their sound.

Now, for the doom fans among us, don't worry. Besides progressive beauty, there a still plenty of doom loaded riffs to slowly bang your head to. 'Cruel Road' and title track 'Heartless' will easily fulfill your metallic needs. The closer is one for you to discover for yourself, but rest assured, I will definitely be worth the effort, just like the rest of the album. So yep, this one comes highly recommended. It's probably one of the most mature metal albums in history...


​Serge

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Aquila – He Gives

9/3/2017

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progressive metal
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He Gives is an album released on March 3, by German progressive metal project aquila. With eleven tracks – Ambition, Belonging, Confidence, Obedience, Impressions, Wisdom, Home, Priority, Guidance, Clarity and Rehabilitation – He Gives reveals itself to be an intelligent and very resourceful album, with unbreakable and creative guitar lines, brilliantly elaborated in a very progressive and experimental atmosphere. With more fragmented harmonies, and the general layer of an aggressive, but at the same time very subtle sonorous expansion, the sound on this album is generally very calm, and reverberating guitars give a primordial beauty to the graceful and rich nuances that seems to be the stronger elements of aquila’s music. 

Playing in a sophisticated and elaborated style with restless and irrational elements, He Gives features discreetly deathcore and death metal musical components, although the album vehemently sustains its predominantly melodic, experimental and smooth essence, giving precedence to a heavier emphasis on guitar, that displays a sensible, but paradoxically hostile nature all the way through.   

Sincerely, I think that He Gives suffers from too much technicality, and lacks spontaneity. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting album, far above the average score. I think personally, though, that this work appeals a lot more to guitar players than the general public. The musician behind the project certainly is strongly audacious, ambitious and creative, and demonstrates extremely well that he has developed brightly a very personal style. What becomes evident rapidly when you listen to this record is that aquila’s musical style is by no means generic, on the contrary. This album delivers to its audience a greater sense of wonderful and genuine originality, some tracks being far beyond captivating and exceptional. Aquila is an artistic force driven by a talented, enthusiastic and objective musician.  

If you are unfamiliar with aquila’s work, this is already a very good motive to listen to this album. Made primarily with very curious and intensely singular qualities, I really don’t have any faults to point about He Gives. It’s a remarkable album, that certainly can be qualified as a very gracious and creative artistic endeavor. 


Wagner
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PH - Eternal Hayden 

7/3/2017

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psychedelic / post rock / progessive
Svart Records
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Oh music, how you have shaped my life throughout the decades. Even now, after almost forty years of all sound combinations imaginable, you still manage to slip something unexpected into my brain and you still manage to renew my childlike amazement. Ever since Golden Earring's 'Ce Soir' rumbled through those ancient Philips speakers, you have created beautiful worlds, relentless landscapes and soothing meadows. I love you, music.

When an album makes me write a tribute to the entire world of music, that album has to be good, right? Like I wrote in other reviews: "a good album works inspiring", and that's exactly what happened here. This album, the fourth by Finnish genre-benders Mr. Peter Hayden, is nothing short of astonishing. It breaks boundaries between pretty much all instrumental rock genres, including post rock, psychedelic rock, and progressive rock.

Ambient and doom metal are present as well. The massive opener 'Looking Back At Mr Peter Hayden' begins with gloomy ambient tunes and evolves into something between Monkey3, Russian Circles and Hawkwind. Heavy riffs support a psychedelic jam, guiding a sonic trip through space. The beauty of it all is, PH make it sound so easy, as if these hypnotic jams are a part of their dna, or something like that.

During my first few listening sessions, heaps of bands came to mind. The ones I mentioned above to begin with, followed by Master Musicians Of Bukkake, A Swarm Of The Sun, Earth, Yob, Om, Mogwai... These names should give you a decent idea about both the versatility of the album and it's immersive and narrative nature. 'We Fligh High', for example, is a psychedelic masterpiece, to be enjoyed by post rockers, doomers and psychedelic rockers alike.

I guess the only downside to this album is its length. 36 Minutes is a bit short for an album like this. However, there is an easy solution to that: play the thing on repeat. Chances are, you might not even notice that you're listening to the same album several times in a row. There is always something new to be discovered and it never gets stale. I mean, I've been listening to it for three hours now.

Well, this turned out to be quite an odd review, but I guess that's ok. 'Eternal Hayden' is an odd album too, one that will certainly end up in my day-to-day playlist. Closer 'Rock and Roll Future' will often cause my head to shake while I'm doing those dreaded household chores. So yes, I will recommend this album to all of you. This is instrumental rock music at a very high level. You won't regret it.


​Serge
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Brieviews 21

4/3/2017

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Ibyss - Hate Speech

industrial metal
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When several media refuse a release because it's 'too provocative and problematic', Merchants Of Air puts it on top of a new edition of Brieviews.That's exactly what happened with this conscience-kicker from German industrial horde Ibyss. Inspired by Godflesh, Nailbomb, Ministry and Treponem Pal, these guys blast out an intense and heavy heap of distorted guitars, pounding drums and brutal vocals. So to hell with mainstream media, this shit is the shit. I mean, this isn't even a political ep, but one that simply wants to tell you to use your common sense and not be an asshole. Besides, it rocks!!!

Primal Age - A Silent Wound

metal / hardcore
Deadlight Entertainment
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Some more kicks in the brain come from French vegan aggressors Primal Age. This ep is rooted deeply in the hardcore and metalcore scene, which obviously results in fierce riffs, tormented vocals and a wide array of murderous tempo changes. Fans of everything between Kickback, Hatebreed and Arkangel will easily adopt this killer into their collection. Fans of Slayer should check out the last song, which is a tribute to Jeff Hanneman in the form of a medley with his best riffs. So yes, this is a short but firm assault on the muscles in your neck, but by now you should already be used to that...

Angus Black - Live From The Cellar

stoner rock / psychedelic
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The band name looks like a tribute to both AC/DC and Black Sabbath, something which might get old hard rock fans immediately interested. So good choice there, but how is the music? Well, not that much AC/DC but an excellent dose of sabbathesque and fuzzed out psychedelic rock. This ep by Finnish fuzzers Angus Black was recorded live in their rehearsal cellar and it's exactly what you can expect from these guys on stage. If Type O Negative would have made stoner rock, Angus Black would have a problem, but now, these guys are just another great psychedelic rock and doom band you want to see on a stage near you very soon. I do.

Flicker Rate - Reframe 

post rock / math rock / progressive rock
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The second ep by English one-man act Flicker Rate is pure ear candy. With progressive guitar lines, a solid post-rock build-up and epic passages, this act certainly delivered something highly immersive and entertaining. In four tracks, this kid show both high class technical skills and a decent flair for atmospheric and instrumental storytelling. And yes, "kid", because the person behind this project is only seventeen years old. I wish more seventeen year olds would do something like this instead of hunting for Pokemons. Then again, not every teenager is a talented musician. Spencer Bassett surely is and I highly recommend checking this ep out.

Quick & Dirty - Falling Down​

alternative rock / hard rock
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Hurray, boobies. That's one reason to buy the ep. I mean, the fact that the ep contains a bunch of heavy rocking blues songs that will make you shake your ass like there is no tomorrow, is a good plus. The obvious influences from everything between Led Zeppelin and Foo Fighters will fill your evenings with joy, which is also a massive advantage. I mean, heavy blues with the energy of alternative rock is a must-have on all those summer festivals in need of a good kick-ass rock 'n roll band that will automatically increase the alcohol consumption, also a plus. But you know you will mainly buy this ep for the boobies...

Analogue Wave - Hope

electronic / trip hop
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Irish duo Analogue Wave are knocking on the doors of Depeche Mode and Massive Attack fans, hoping to find interested ears for their immersive electronic music. 'Hope' is a great song, eclectic, energetic and danceable. I hear influences from Amon Tobin and Gus Gus, which are always a plus in this household. The ep also contains a heavy remix by experimental psych/kraut collective Tuath for the same song and one by Ummagma for the song 'Mezkal'. The latter is a classic synth pop tune that will easily get Depeche Mode fans shaking their behinds. Nice single, certainly recommended.

Mahùt - Your Violin Is Still Playing

post rock / electronic
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Post-rock for Boards Of Canada fans, that's pretty much what Italian duo Mahùt delivers. Their new ep is loaded with gentle instrumentals, rooted in the post rock scene but also carrying a wide array of electronics. The six songs are well-varied, not too long and listener friendly. Picking a favorite one isn't easy but I will have to go with the gloomy and beautiful 'The Last Time We Spoke', probably because I can't resist violins and deep bass lines. So obviously, I will recommend this one to all post rock fans out there, just like I would to all fans of downtempo electronics. This one is a must-have.

Rückwater - Bonehead

stoner rock
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Right, time to dive back into the thick cesspool of the psychedelic stoner rock scene. With two equally rough and intense vocalists and a kickass sound, these Fins blast like there is no tomorrow. This six-track ep is a strong, dirty and heavy gem, a certain recommendation for fans of Truckfighters, Black Rainbows, 1000Mods and everything in between.  The blues-ballad 'Labyrinth' is a masterpiece, one that should have been written and recorded forty years ago. So yes, if you are a stoner (rock fan), you have to check out this ep. It will immediately raise the temperature in your room to desert-levels. 

Absinthe From Society - The Angels Ignored Us

metal
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Canadian metal trio Absinthe From Society comes up with a raw and heavy four-track ep. The band, influenced by everything between Jimi Hendrix and System Of A Down does not want to be innovative. Instead, they want to rock and in that, they are pretty good. Although I'm not a fan of the song 'Hellbound', 'A Man Possessed' is a great track, groovy, heavy and pounding. 'Never' feels like an eighties new wave tune, which is surprising but also welcome. 'Worth It' is an interesting rock ballad. That being said, yes, this is damn varied. I think a lot of rockers will appreciate this. It's nothing new but good enough to be entertained, which is all we need...

Ancst - Furnace

hardcore / black metal
Vendetta Records
Yehonala Tapes
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A dark, impending intro, followed by one of the most brutal sonic assaults in the history of music, thriving on hardcore and drenched in a blackened atmosphere, that's what you get when you purchase this murderous piece of music. German blackened crust horde Ancst delivered a relentless ep, one that is out for nothing less than utter destruction. Of course, this stuff is not suited for untrained ears and for people who like to maintain their sanity. But fans of extreme metal will gladfully bask in the pitch black darkness delivered by these masterminds. I mean, I'm not a fan of crust and hardcore but this album is bloody awesome.

Vorzug - Three

death metal
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Strange, after listening to the previous ep in this list of Brieviews, this one by American death metal combo Vorzug doesn't sound as heavy and intense as I expected. Nonetheless, opener 'The Ever Living' is a brilliant piece of old school death metal. There is plenty of aggression and intensity but also room for melody and decent songwriting. 'Under A Dying Sun' is my favorite here, a solid headbanger which no death metal fan can resist. I'll leave the closer up to you, but I promise you, it's worthy of a spot in your death metal playlist. I mean, look at me, loving death metal again...

Sangre de Muerdago - Os Segredos da Raposa Vermella

dark folk / neofolk
Neuropa
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Time for something completely different. The band calls it "forest folk" and I would like to add "old continent music". Sangre De Muerdago come up with an ancient folk sound, something that will easily appeal fans of In Gowan Ring, Arnica or Wardruna but also by fans of Mike Oldfield. With traditional instruments and dynamic percussion, this music is a solid soundtrack for solstice ritual in the middle of a forest. Of course, you're absolutely free to enjoy this in the comfort of your living room or bedroom as well, and I suggest you try that. It's a great listening experience, I promise.

Serge
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Autism - Film Noir 

17/2/2017

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post rock / post metal
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It's strange how an album can be both fantastic and disappointing at the same time. I know, that's a pretty harsh sentence to open this review, especially since this album is far from disappointing. I'll explain. The title of this album is 'Film Noir', something I associate with dark jazz acts like Radare, Dale Cooper Quartet & The Dictaphones or Bohren & der Club of Gore. The artwork points in a similar direction and even the opening track 'Alive and Torn' has something dark-jazzy. So yes, I immediately went into post-dark-jazz-rock modus, which was rudely interrupted by sneering guitars on 'In Anger'. My mind went "damn, that was my favorite genre".

Luckily for Lithuanian post rock orchestra Autism, everything they do next also belongs to my list of favorite genres. 'In Anger' sets the tone for the rest of the album, blending post rock with progressive metal, all without uttering a word. There are words on this album, but solely in the form of samples, film noir samples I think. They turn 'Brittle Bones' into a stunning piece of music, one which breathes fear, hopelessness and pain. I think it's safe to say that 'Brittle Bones' is my favorite, as it is an incredibly immersive post-rock track that can easily compete with the greats in the genre.

'918' is another highlight, a long, narrative composition that even crawls into the regions of post-black metal, a genre Autism often seems to flirt with. I like that, it's an excellent addition to the already varied sound of these Lithuanians and it certainly adds heaps of atmosphere to the whole thing. The album closes with the title track, which is equally impressive as its predecessor. In all, 'Film Noir' simply is an exquisite post rock album, carefully and meticulously written and arranged by talented musicians who dare to think out of the box. Of course I will recommend it to all you post-whatever fans. This deserves a place in your collection, that's for damn sure...


​Serge
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Brieviews 19

26/1/2017

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Alex Cordo - Origami

progressive metal
Amazon
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This one is a guitarist's dream, the musical equivalent of a karate student looking at his sensei. Alex Cordo is a classically trained guitar player who brings his skills into the world of progressive rock and metal. The songs on this album are instrumental metal anthems, narrated by technically perfect guitar play. Fans of flashing guitars, heavy rocking music and technical skills will probably adore the hell out of this album. If you're into Vai, Malmsteen or Satriani, you will undoubtedly appreciate this compositions and you'll definitely find a spot in your already massive collection to add this. So go ahead, check it out and enjoy the awesome landscapes of Alex Cordo...

December Hung Himself - Perseidi

dark ambient
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Speaking about landscapes, this Italian duo surely knows a thing or two about atmospheric and cinematic music. Formed by the guitarists from Thank U For Smoking, Drought & Charun, December Hung Himself take their post-rock and black metal experiences into the world of dark ambient and drones.The result is a must-have for fans of Atrium Carceri, Inade, Kammarheit and so on. If you're into minimal dark ambient, there's no doubt that this album deserves a spot in your collection. Here and there you can find a hint of melody, guitars and gloomy electronics. To conclude I have to say, the trippy closer '​Beta Persei' is pure genius

Last Builders of Empire - Hades

post rock
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American quartet Last Builders Of Empire also seem to know their way around post-rock and with this ep they show exactly how versatile this genre can be. Opener 'Descent of Perithous' is a classic post rock anthem, something between This Will Destroy You, Mono and Wang Wen. 'Clinostat' reminds me of the heavy and drone-infused regions of the scene, with bands like A Swarm Of The Sun. 'State Of Grace' brims with symphonic arrangements and then there are two more awesome tunes to be discovered. You guessed it, this ep definitely is worth the effort, and an excellent sonic journey into the Ancient Greek underworld.

Tuath - Things I Don't Know

shoegaze / psychedelic
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Irish noisemakers Tuath come up with a dark and gritty four-track ep, breathing a vintage shoegaze atmosphere but also incorporating elements from ambient, noise rock and even a hint of sludge doom. The title track is a strange episode with soundscapes and a long vocal sample, but definitely one I can often listen to. The other tracks rock quite heavy, here and there even getting a psychedelic and occult edge, like The Jesus And Mary Chain meets Hawkwind perhaps. If you know Tuath, you know that these guys aren't easy to categorize but that's exactly their strength. So, my advice, check it out, you'll be surprised.

Cyclocosmia - Immure

symphonic doom
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Progressive, symphonic, female fronted doom from London, created by producer James Scott, vocalist Aliki Katriou and guest musicians from all over the world. The result is an interesting album, blending the symphonic approach of gothic metal with the heavy riffing of vintage death doom and progressive technicality. So don't expect Nightwish or After Forever but expect a blend between Draconian, Ayreon, Dream Theatre and more modern metal acts. Even though it's not easy to correctly categorize this ep, I would certainly recommend adding it to your collection of unique and stubborn metal releases. I does deserve a spot there.

Hummingbird Of Death / Beartrap - Split

grindcore
Here And Now Records
Give Praise Records
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Grindcore, grindcore, grindcore, guttural, grindcore, short, attack, grindcore, punk, thrash, grindcore, growl, scream, grindcore.

I think that's pretty much all a grindcore fan needs to know about this fierce split between Hummingbird Of Death & Beartrap. It's a single, containing a bunch of extremely short and extremely aggressive hardcore punk influenced pieces of grindcore.

Oh, did I already mention grindcore?

​Grindcore 

Feller Buncher - 203040

alternative / metal
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A feller buncher is a type of harvester used in logging, something I jokingly called an "industrial treehugger". That aside, Feller Buncher is also a metal band from Paris. they have just released this heavy ep, highly influenced by sludge metal and the ever awesome power of the riff. Yet, the music reminds me more of bands like Danzig and Channel Zero, which I guess isn't that bad to be compared with. Although the tempo isn't always fierce, there is plenty of energy coming from these five tracks. Metal Fans should doubt no longer and start banging their heads to this massive machine...

Desiderii Marginis - Songs Over Ruins

dark ambient
Cyclic Law
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When this email came in, I was pleasantly surprised, but mostly because I thought it was a brand new Desiderii Marginis album. However, this is a reissue but nonetheless an interesting one. Back in 1997 and released by Cold Meat Industry, 'Songs Over Ruins' became a landmark dark ambient album, one that influences acts and labels all over the world. Now, the good people at Cyclic Law decided to reissue this masterpiece so more fans can get their hands on a copy of this. All I can add, is "go ahead and buy this thing", this is the stuff that gave birth to an entire scene...

Pintandwefall - Red and Blue Baby 

indie rock / pop rock
Svart Records
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On the somewhat joyful side of the musical universe we find this pop rocking girl band and their damn catchy tunes. With elements from indie rock, grunge and punk, Pintandwefall present a lo-fi version of acts like The Breeders or Throwing Muses. Opener 'Come To Rest' is my absolute favorite on this album, a song that easily gets stuck in your head. 'Seasimularo' is another fav, somehow bringing the sixties back. In all, this simply is a very enjoyable album that undoubtedly goes right into my day-to-day playlist. I'm sure I'll be smiling every single time one of these songs roll through my speakers.

Ric Gordon - Just Can't Get Enough

punk rock
Russian Winter Records
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While moving, punk rocker Ric Gordon discovered a box with fifty copies of his 1979 debut ep. So he decided to reissue them and make them available on CD and digital formats as well. In that case, I guess this is officially the oldest release ever to be reviewed on Merchants Of Air. Do I recommend it? Obviously I do, this is old fashioned rock 'n roll that is actually old enough to be old fashioned. There is a sense of timelessness in these songs. If you like acts like Ramones, Misfits and Status Quo, I suggest you check this thing out. Vintage just got a lot vintager... 

Gentle Savage - Introduction

rock / blues
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"Let the good times roll", they sing in opener 'Bring Back Rock`n`Roll' and I can't help but agree. Let me introduce Finnish blues rockers Gentle Savage and their first tribute to rock 'n roll. In three songs, one catchy, one rather psychedelic and one pretty damn southern, these guys delivered an awesome debut, something for fans of everything between Hendrix, CCR and Black Crowes. Obviously, this gem calls for a full-length in the near future, followed by a tour. So, I guess it's clear, Gentle Savage are here to bring the soul back to rock 'n roll and judging from this ep, they're doing the right thing...

Funeral Mourning - Descent MMXV

funeral doom / black metal
Nihilistische KlangKunst (cd)
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Right, enough joy and happiness. Time to drag our depressed souls through endless floods of despair and misery, courtesy of Australian act Funeral Mourning. That might sound as a little joke, but I'm damn serious about this album. This is an atmospheric funeral doom blast, one which easily fits the gaps between your Esoteric, Evoken and Shape Of Despair albums. In two lengthy tracks, this act definitely convinces. If you want the assaults on your sanity to be slow, intense and punishing, you need this album. Hell, it's stuff like this that made me become obsessed with this whole genre to begin with...

Adam Probert - The Battle For Tomorrow

noise / drone / spoken word
Sonic Entrails
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Noise music and activism often go hand in hand, and that is exactly the case with this album by spoken word punk poet and dignity in care campaigner Adam Probert. The music here can be compared to acts like Con-Dom, Atrax Morgue, Brighter Death Now and Propergol, although Probert's tracks are not as harsh and punishing as the others. Yet, the whole remains in the drones and minimal noise regions and contains a heap of spoken words and samples. My suggestion, download the album, play it loud, listen to the words and think about them, even if you're not into noise, just listen and think!!!

Steelballs - Steelballs

heavy metal
Witches Brew
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We've been travelling through time a lot in this edition of Brieviews. Right now, we're in the eighties, where bands like Helloween, Manowar and Grave Digger were the heroes of metal. Formed in 2013, Steelballs is a band from Argentina who honor that era of heavy metal. So how do they do it? Not bad, my friend, not bad at all. Raging heavy metal, flashing solos, high pitched vocals... it's all here and it comes to you like a freight train. The ep contains four fine tunes which will easily remind you of the bands I previously mentioned. To some it might sound outdated but to others this is timeless metal, period.

Teleport - Ascendance 

death metal / black metal
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A band that answers the question "bands we like" with "insane ones" immediately demands respect. With that alone, this Slovenian band gained my interest, but also with the term "cosmic metal". Apparently, that means, "a complex and progressive blend of black and death metal which aims to pulverise your very soul into a massive black hole of musical extremism". So yes, blast this thing through your speakers and prepare to bang your head into an endless vacuum. Fans of extreme metal can easily trust this ep to bash them into a bloody pulp because take it from me, these guys can play.

Serge
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Brieviews 18

14/1/2017

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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...
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Blushing - Tether

shoegaze / dreampop
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Degrees of Truth – The Reins of Life

19/12/2016

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symphonic / progressive metal
Underground Symphony
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The Reins of Life is an album by Italian Progressive Symphonic Metal group Degrees of Truth, released by record label Underground Symphony. With eleven tracks – Pattern, Finite Infinite, The Reins Of Life, Evolution, Civilization,
Subtle Borderline, The World Beneath My Feet, Fine Art Of Havoc, The Grim Lesson, Deep Six and Pillar Of Hope – this is album is a good exemplar of the genre, developing harmonies that evolves from very subtle, lucid and poetic melodies, that has in beauty a very mature element that constantly revolves and adorns the harmonies, as a resilient broken hearted universe, trying to fix its overall emotions in a more theatrical, but ethereal consignation of truth. 

An interesting genre work, consolidated by a very solid line of interchanged rhythms absorbed in an inadvertently sensorial musical definition, The Reins of Life departs from a very symbiotic pattern of cohesive harmonies, that relies constantly in beautiful melodic overtones, and all around the sonorous shapes of its contiguous abundant poetic stature, also inserts into the creative outlines convoluted and surprising electronic elements, precisely combining interesting components to create and develop a very peculiar style of their own.

With interesting passages, designed to fulfill and comprehend a more magical and indefinite musical cosmogony, that aligns several different sonorous elements into an unusual style of ambitious artistry, Degrees of Truth is really focused in a very antagonistically complex, but cohesive musical proposal, that never departs from absurd or overall commonalities: developing their own colossal and monumental concept of Symphonic Metal, The Reins of Life is really absorbed in an interesting pattern of poetic diversity and creativity, being a lot more ambitious and solid than other works on the genre. They truly develop a new concept, being so vigorously original, that is impossible not to recognize the new values they present to the genre, as a whole.

The Reins of Life is a very colorful and versatile album – filled with beautiful, precise and delicate harmonies –, that, despite the fact that widely explores several different layers of musical shapes at all corners of symphonic metal, does fully secure a lucid and vivid sonorous cohesion, all the way through. Destined to become a powerful reference to the genre, this work really opens new possibilities, as well as consecrates a true evolutionary road for the genre, in each and every possible aspect. Degrees of Truth is a band of enlightened logic, poetic versatility, unusual fulfillment, musical beauty, and artistic ambition, destined to take Symphonic Metal to the next level. Until them, the genre was inclined to a very monotonous decline and stagnation. Now, we can see a revival, an upheaval and a vigorous rebirth in the horizon!   



Wagner
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Brieviews 17

17/12/2016

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Ummagma + A.R.Kane - Winter Tale 

dream pop
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Ummagma
A.R. Kane
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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...
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Thinking Through Myths - The Dreamscape 

12/12/2016

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progressive rock / post rock
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The Dreamscape is the most recent release by Thinking Through Myths, a project by my fellow countryman, Brazilian musician Gyorgy Henyei Neto, which lives in Aberdeen, Scotland. With a personal style hard to define or categorize, on this album Henyei Neto displays a wide array of different styles and influences, that prominently features more calm and transient melodies, although the rhythms are fiercely strong, objective and precisely incisive.  

With unforgiving and unsuspicious, surprising twists, he explores very solid narratives, on more strictly narrowed, but somewhat expansive guitar lines, that formulates the basis for subtle harmonies, filled with reflexive nuances, creating serene, but lucid atmospheres, that highlights a sensible and poetic sonorous outline, filled with a very dissonant, but very consistent diagram of melodic virtues. 

Already in the first tracks, the album title makes sense: what is built here is, indeed, a dreamscape, a marvelous, poetic and wonderful dreamscape. All the songs on this album seems to be the soundtrack of a very distant, but sincere dream, that will take your mind to another dimension, and will surprise you in each and every second of it. Because, when you think you had realized what the album is all about, Henyei Neto surprises you with another twist.         

This album is also a step forward from his previous work, Ortus Planetae. Although a very good album as well, on The Dreamscape the song structure appears to be built in a more complex layer, and Henyei Neto challenges himself – as well as the listener – in a more lacerating and explicit manner, with a sound more hard to decipher and unveil. 

Nonetheless, with the prevalence of beautiful, graceful and poetic harmonies, this album is undoubtedly his best so far. Displaying a peculiar style, that he fully dominates as the master of his own sonorous universe, here we have a musician growing, evolving and learning from his own musicality, consolidating a path close to completeness, and, I dare to say, even perfection. Filled with beautifully poetic and somewhat atmospheric tracks, The Dreamscape shows a musician fully aligned with himself, diversified and displaying a fully incorruptible and undecipherable style. Showing that he recognizes no boundaries in what concerns musical creativity, Gyorgy Henyei Neto overcomes himself one more time, in a major and magnificent work, that makes the Brazilian underground scene to be exceedingly proud of.            


​Wagner
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Fromhell – March on Gravitation

12/12/2016

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black metal / death metal / progressive
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FROMHELL is an Indonesian progressive black metal duo, and March on Gravitation is their most recent release. With eight tracks – A Million Castor, Stellar Space, Hibernation Sun, Summoning Stars, The Abandoned Stargate, Rotary of Life, Conqueror of The Massive Star and Celestial Night – you can definitely be sure that March on Gravitation is a superb and magnificent album: one of the best BM albums of the year, and certainly one of the best albums in the genre that you will ever hear in your entire life. Profoundly melodic, but strong and deeply technical, with broken, but fully cadenced melodies, unchained by a stream of converging desirable sonorous universes that dismantles poetic dreams in motion by amazingly melodic guitar lines fully aligned by a deep combination of knowledge and wisdom, these eight tracks are art profoundly and deeply sculpted at the height of the most incomprehensible universe ever conceived in sound. With the sense that you are traveling in a Matrix like system, in the range of guitar notes driven by the speed of light, all tracks on this album are art conceived at the perfect range of a cosmic promise unchained by the poetry of a very sensible heart.       

Fully underlined by delicate, sensible and beautiful, yet aggressive melodies filled with strength and power, conceived by the vast and restless creativity of an archaic cosmic celestial beauty, the perfect mixture of melodic, progressive and aggressive components – with small poignant perceptions of power metal – has produced and conceived a very unique and majestic sound, sidelined by an unusual set of increasingly solid peculiarities. With fantasy notes at the parallel stream of infinite rhythms arranged by the virtues of a compelling and fully embraced artistry, March on Gravitation makes you embark on a monumental journey to another dimension, through a different anagram of existence, where everything is synchronized with a beautiful perfection, that analyzes perfectly all the aspects of life.

If you think you know what perfection really sounds like, this is because you haven’t heard this album yet. Fully magnified by a hazard and sincere aggressiveness that cuts the pungent surface of the sound, converting its ravenous sonorous molecules into an impressive compounding heart that revolves the components of its own sensible universe, March on Gravitation is a work that rapidly becomes stranded within the sentimental nucleus of your deepest musical perceptions.

With a more delicate and gentle side as well, the poetic melodies presented on March on Gravitation exposes a very beautiful and complete anagram of life, so curiously undertaking that makes you see the genre in a totally different perspective. Distorting and colliding with the most eccentric and dispersive values of their own style, the dynamic pace presented in the harmonies are so impressively free that they expand above the rhythms, creating a hyperbolic sphere of consonantal melodies so diversified, and yet, so aligned within the genre, that you can’t avoid asking yourself how anyone could ever conceive such a groundbreaking and marvelous masterpiece. Amazingly transcendental and elevated to the most superior extent of an ethereal predisposition of completely diluted feelings of serenity, this album has to be regarded as one of the best of its kind, ever to be matched by any other album in contemporary history. 

A marvelous and unparalleled work of art, with stratospheric melodies fully aligned by the irreplaceable sonorous contrivance of a cosmogony presented at the center of its own standards, March on Gravitation is an incredible masterpiece, that will leave you speechless, from the very beginning until the end. Destined to become a cornerstone within the genre, and a primary reference for the entire underground scene, March on Gravitation is a fantastic, splendid, excellent and overwhelming album, conceived above all the ordinary limits of existence, to say the least. Merging several different genres and styles to create a very unique brand of black metal, that partakes into a much narrowed niche of the sonorous conglomeration of the human limits, March on Gravitation is not just another album: it’s an infinite and more expansive perspective on life. The next step on the evolution of black metal as a genre, as a form of art, as a form of life, as a form of seeing and analyzing yourself deeply, to become something in another ground. So, in just a few words, a more sensitive, epic, cosmic and colorful take on life. Keep an eye on FROMHELL. These two marvelous and visionary artists will surprise on a very hard line the underground scene with beautiful masterpieces like March on Gravitation for the years to come.            


​Wagner
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Brieviews 16

2/12/2016

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​Sorgu​inazia - Sorguinazia

black metal
Vault Of Dried Bones
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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
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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
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Smallman
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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...

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Until The Uprising - Out Of Time

24/11/2016

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progressive metal
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We're still in France, in the coastal city of Nice this time. We're also still engaged in some ferocious metal but this time a bit more extreme. With a mix of progressive metal, death metal and metalcore, Until The Uprising tries to force themselves a breakthrough in the world of extreme metal. As far as I'm concerned, they may since, this is a more than decent album with a flair for quality and some brutal controlled aggression. "More than decent", that doesn't sound very good, I know. But give me a moment to explain myself.

Some of our returning readers might already know that I'm not really a fan of metalcore and that vague genre named "djent". For me, it's all metalcore mixed with progressive and death metal. However, I often give these bands a chance. Why? Well, first of all, most of them are hardworking and talented artists and it's not their fault that they play a genre I don't really like. Furthermore, I've listened to a lot of albums that made me change my mind about a certain genre. That's how I discovered Sepultura. I hated it the first time, became a massive fan the second time. So what couldn't that happen again?

Well, after listening to 'Out Of Time' I can say that I'm still not a fan of the genre, but I do respect and appreciate the hard work and talent that go into writing these songs. Besides, there are some awesome passages to be found on this album, passages that are perfectly capable of getting every metalhead headbang himself into a coma. Especially the younger generation of fans will adore this album, since it's loaded with heavily distorted guitars, breaks, growls, screams and pounding drums. I can easily imagine the moshpits and walls-of-death being formed on songs like 'Invisible Cages' and 'Nothingness'. 

In that, I see no reason not to recommend this album. The song structures are complex but immersive as hell. The use of electornics is simply great and some of these riffs could almost literally crush your skull. Fans of bands like Vildhjarta or Animals As Leaders can easily trust this effort to be a solid addition to their collection. The production quality is crystal clear and there is some obvious talent behind these songs. Yes, this is a must have for djent-fans.


​Serge

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Arcade Messiah - III

20/11/2016

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post metal / progressive
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Winter is coming, soon snow will cover the lands and ice will form on the lakes and ponds. In Belgium, that will probably result in cold, slippery brown mush everywhere and a thin layer of ice on some ponds, not enough to skate or have any kind of fun with. That's why we prefer staying at home, lighting the fireplace and getting drunk while listening to good music. We are a simple kind of people; as long as the music is good enough.

This album by Irish one-man project Arcade Messiah is just the thing we need to get through the winter. It's one of those albums that tell elaborate stories, mostly without uttering a single word. The project is founded by KingBathmat frontman John Bassett and drags in heaps of influences from the gargantuan world of rock music. Yet, since the music is mostly instrumental, it might be both easy and correct to place this thing into the post rock and metal corners.

That being said, fans of bands like Pelican, Russian Circles and Cult Of Luna will definitely appreciate this music, but I'd also like to recommend this to others. There are elements of grunge in opener 'Revolver' while 'Deliverance' takes a strong progressive stand. Here and there I can hear influences from doom and sludge metal too and the whole stoner rock scene is never far away. Finally, there simply is a great dose of riffing goodness present here.

The tracks are well built-up and have the immersive nature of many of its highly acclaimed predecessors in the post-whatever scene. I have no favorite track since they all fit very well together, forming one big concept, which is exactly what I love so much about this genre. So, a shout out to fans of anything between Radiohead, Alice In Chains, the previous mentioned bands and Godspeed! You Black Emperor: this is a great album, a perfect companion for all your daily activities.


​Serge
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Wheel of Smoke - Mindless Mass

2/11/2016

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progressive / psychedelic / grunge / alternative
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Sometimes I wonder how kids these days are introduced to music. I remember discovering this brilliant alternative to both silence and people talking when I was six years old. I listened to my parents' old records for hours and hours. I was mesmerized by those guitars, those drums, that atmosphere. Over the years rock music became an obsession, making me dig deep into every subgenre there was. Listening to this album right now, I feel I'm not the only one.

Wheel Of Smoke is a band from Belgium, formed in 2005. Judging from the songs here, these guys must have had the same influences as I had in my younger years: an introduction through blues and psychedelic rock and years of dwelling through alternative rock, grunge, stoner rock and doom metal. That would obviously place this band right into today's so-called "Desert-scene" and yep, they fit right in.

What you get on Mindless Mass' are several (mainly) downtempo rock songs with influences ranging from King Crimson and Hawkwind to Radiohead and Alice In Chains. Opener 'Degeneration' is a searing hot blues track while 'Ruins' showcases the power of the grungy nineties. My favorite track, 'Bad Shepard' raises the tempo for a while, but mostly grabs back to the psychedelic blues of bands like Black Crowes.

My favorite track is the gloomy and mysterious 'Unnamed' which seems to draw influences from bands like Om. I also really dig the vocals on this song. There are a few more song, but I promised myself not to go into a song-by-song description. I think it'll be sufficient to say that this simply is a strong album with plenty of energy and excellent songwriting skills. If you're a fan of anything between blues rock, psychedelic rock, grunge and (in 'No More TV') a dash of punk, you'll be thrilled to blast this album through your speakers.


​Serge
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