euhm...

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

progressive rock / instrumental

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

psychedelic rock / progressive rock / art rock

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

metalcore / progressive metal

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

ambient / experimental / shoegaze

metalcore / metal

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hard rock

classical / ambient

drum & bass / industrial metal

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progressive / thrash metal

nu metal

synthpop / new wave

techno / industrial

alternative rock

post rock

death metal

dark ambient / black metal

experimental rock

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gothic / industrial metal

punk

doom metal

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

progressive metal

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

psychedelic / post rock / progessive

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

industrial metal

metal / hardcore

stoner rock / psychedelic

post rock / math rock / progressive rock

alternative rock / hard rock

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electronic / trip hop

post rock / electronic

stoner rock

metal

hardcore / black metal

death metal

dark folk / neofolk

Serge

post rock / post metal

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

progressive metal

dark ambient

post rock

shoegaze / psychedelic

symphonic doom

grindcore

alternative / metal

dark ambient

indie rock / pop rock

punk rock

rock / blues

funeral doom / black metal

noise / drone / spoken word

heavy metal

death metal / black metal

Serge

shoegaze / dreampop

stoner rock

electronic / ambient

Avian

post rock

black metal / hardcore

heavy jazz / noise rock

alternative rock

doom metal

heavy metal

power metal / heavy metal

hardcore / progressive

symphonic meal / gothic meal

techno

alternative / singer-songwriter

death metal / thrash metal

Serge

symphonic / progressive metal

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

dream pop

jazz / krautrock / post rock

electronic / idm

techno

rock / experimental

stoner / doom

psychedelic doom

black metal / doom / thrash

thrash metal

metalcore

drone / ambient / psychedelic

folk / rock

thrash metal

punk / hardcore

post rock / psychedelic / progressive

progressive rock / post rock

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

black metal / death metal / progressive

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

black metal

Vault Of Dried Bones

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.

stoner doom

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!!!

post rock / electronic / doom

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.

progressive metal

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.

progressive rock

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.

death metal / thrash metal

thrash metal / black metal

dark ambient

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noise / experimental

dark ambient / experimental

black metal

post punk

progressive / power metal

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. 

black metal

progressive / alternative rock

progressive metal / djent / post metal

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.

indie rock / psychedelic

progressive metal

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

post metal / progressive

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

progressive / psychedelic / grunge / alternative

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