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

Saturndust – RLC

2/5/2017

Comments

 
psychedelic / stoner rock / space rock
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our shirt designs

RLC is an album by Brazilian stoner rock trio Saturndust, released on April 17. Almost one hour long, the record has six tracks: Negative-Parallel Dimensional, Astral Dominion, RLC, Titan, Time Lapse Of Existence and Saturn 12.c. With doom and psychedelic elements masterly aggregated into the laziness of the sound, their music combines the flexible confluence of stoner, with the more lurid, slanting and diluted elements of cosmic rock. With dilated rhythms, and a very elusive soundscape that outlines with fervor exceedingly organic melodies over a solid compass of plenitude and homogeneous synchronicity, the music of Saturndust encompasses a great interlude of despondent harmonies, creating in their magnanimously effervescing cauldron of reticent pretentious ebullitions a slow, but efficient and formidably patient space opera, fully comprehensive of the epistemological components displayed in the genre.    

The harmonies are built calmly, vaguely and deeply, and in the slowness of their imponderably lucid digressions, intricate harmonies are reproduced at the height of a magnanimous retribution of serene legitimacy, that leads the listener throughout an omnipotent maze of vivacious ardor and sonorous splendor.

Probably one of the best works that I have heard in the genre, RLC ostensibly dilapidates with captivating sensibility the best elements of the genre, truly developing a very unique style of sound, capable of reshaping in the vicinities of its melodies an acceptance of continuity somewhat plausible, given the expansive nature of their music, inherently traced to a cosmic frame of infinity, generated by a diluted and incredibly shaped space rock, reiterated by a flexible, lose and vague artistry, understood as the main qualities of their creative principles.

Firmly engraved in the traditional components of stoner rock, but aggregating several elements of other genres – and first of all, mainly developing accurately the eccentricities of their own style –, Saturndust has done a very competent, skilled and ostensibly graceful work on RLC. Although their music is amazing, and can’t be categorized – at least, in my personal point of view – as particularly distressful, boring, tedious or monotonous, their work can be mostly and specifically directed to people who are unconditional enthusiasts of space opera rock. 


Undoubtedly an interesting work, RLC can be considered a milestone of the genre, as the technique displayed by the band reveals, in the final result, a very good album, that has everything to please a very extensive audience. 


Wagner
Comments

Blackbird Hill - Midday Moonlight

27/4/2017

Comments

 
psychedelic / blues / stoner rock
bandcamp
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our store
Well, after two ambient albums, it was time for something different, something where the guitars, drums and rough vocals reign supreme. This one is something for the desert rockers among us, and I won't be surprised if I get to see this French duo perform these tunes on the upcoming edition of Desertfest. However, since we're not there yet, let's enjoy these six searing hot psychedelic blues rock songs.

The inspiration for these songs seem to come directly from the Mississippi Delta where blues legends like Howlin' Wolf and John Lee Hooker rose to fame. Yes, the means blues, laced by the contemporary rock of bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd or Creedence Clearwater Revival. Furthermore, Blackbird Hill throws in some psychedelic rock here and there, like in the awesome opener 'Trigger Law'.

My personal favorite on this album is a long ballad 'Stories From The Road'. I know, I'm a sucker for ballads, but believe me, it's a damn good one. The whole album is damn good, raising the temperature to desert levels and putting the listener in a deep, blissful trance. What else could you possible want? So yes, psychedelic stoner blues fans of all ages, you might have discovered a new favorite here...


​Serge 
Comments

The Sonic Dawn – Into the Long Night

25/4/2017

Comments

 
psychedelic rock
Heavy Psych Sounds
Amazon
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our store
Into the Long Night is an album by Danish garage/ psychedelic rock group The Sonic Dawn, released on April 21. A little more than thirty six minutes long, the record has nine tracks: Intro, Emily Lemon, On the Shore, As of Lately, Six Seven, Numbers Blue, Lights Left On, l'Espion and Summer Voyage. With intelligent, spontaneous and wisely dynamic psychedelic grooves, Into the Long Night is an interesting and refreshing album, that has on the verge of its effusively elongated style the best influences of seventies rock’n’roll. With impressionistic melodies, burnt at the despicable road of a red sun, the overall harmonies of the songs are quite surprising, and sustain in the precious context of its dimensional elements the greatest journey of a very idyllic nostalgia-driven acid rock album. 

With sensible and delicate melodies, Into the Long Night is an interesting and reasonable record, although unfortunately doesn’t offer a very original outlook into the strength of genre. Falling sometimes into a more generic and perfidious sonorous derailment, Into the Long Night has its moments of enthusiastic apex, though you can’t afford to be in high expectancy here. 

Into the Long Night, after all, manages to be a good album, but the group fails to give a more original and authentic sonorous impulse to their sound, despite the fact that their music has, indeed, a formidable amount of energy, and genuine vigor. But in what concerns the style, they seem too vaguely familiar with other acts of the genre. 

Nevertheless, I seriously think that Into the Long Night has potential to attract a loyal amount of enthusiasts. Despite the fact that the sound becomes too excessively uniform and ordinary as the album progresses, there is a genuine effort consciously displayed for the sake of refinement throughout the whole album, and their competent technique cannot be ignored either. After all, the record disappoints a little, but in the end, the work achieves a reasonable level of creative intensity, with some very good songs along the way, especially the second, and the last three – Emily Lemon, Lights Left On, l'Espion and Summer Voyage, respectively – that summarizes beautifully The Sonic Dawn’s poetic effort in their free-flowing style of psychedelic rock. 


Wagner


 


Comments

Owun - 2.5

21/4/2017

Comments

 
alternative / post rock / experimental / shoegaze
bandcamp
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our store
Here come the French again and once again, they come up with one of the most surprising albums of the year. I'll try to guide you through but it's not going to be easy since there is so much going on. Most of that is quite out of the ordinary too, but I guess we're slowly getting used to that. After all, I've seen a lot of strange and fascinating things coming from our country's neighbour and I must say, they truly are an experimental bunch of people.

Let's start with the beginning. For me, Owun is new. I have never heard of them before. Yet, the band exists since 1992 and released a first demo three years later. Back then, they blended noise rock, hardcore and new wave. Their second effort was an eighties inspired album and later on they incorporated elements from ambient, drone and electro. For a while, the band disappeared, only to resurface again in 2007.

Now, they released another album, simply named '2.5'. This one contains pretty much all of the above, and more. From noise over post rock to noise rock and psychedelic shoegaze, flavored with drones and electronics, Owun has it all, which obviously makes this extremely hard to categorize. Yet, if there is one comparison, it might be Primus meets Melvins as at least one of the band members if a big Les Claypool fan.

Then again, there is also some post rock present here, showcasing immersive instrumental rock songs and hypnotic soundscapes. Yet, the whole thing is usually a lot faster than typical post rock. Still, I wouldn't mind this band showing up on Dunk! festival or so. They will be a bit different from most of the other bands but I'm sure that they will put up an impressive show. I don't know. I guess I'm just becoming of a fan of this band.

So, to conclude, who to recommend this album to? I think answering that question is quite easy. I'd like to recommend it to all noise and post rockers out there, especially the ones that like to deviate from the norm once in a while. '2.5' is a very adventurous album, one that you won't easily forget.


​Serge
Comments

J. Kill & Mr. Mule - Ruostuva Maailma / Palava Mieli

21/4/2017

Comments

 
folk / psychedelic / experimental
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our shirts
Rejoice! J. Kill & Mr. Mule return with another splendid full-length. This Finnish one-man project has been delivering interesting psychedelic folk trips in the past, and this album faithfully follows that tradition, much to my delight. As I mentioned in my previous review (read), "sometimes experimental music can be minimal but expressive and insightful pop songs". Yes, this is experimental, but it still contains excellent and fragile pop songs.

On the other hand, there is plenty of room for other things as well. In the first three tracks alone, I hear influences from folk, jazz, noise and post rock. Opener 'Kuihtuva Kehä' builds upon influences from Nick Cave or Tom Waits while 'Ruosteen Huuto' drags in some experimental electronics. 'Elo' in its turn, sounds like an acoustic version of an immersive post rock anthem. 'Varjojen Maa' brings back memories of neo folk bands like Death In June, Forseti or Wardruna.

What I like also about this album, besides the impressive amount of variation, is the fact that the artist leaves plenty of room for instrumental passages. With those, he nudges towards the drone ambient scene, without being a drone ambient artist himself. Perhaps, when Master Musicians Of Bukkake or Om go acoustic, they might sound a bit like this. With that in mind, I would mind witnessing this stuff at some Desertfest or so.

My favorite track on this album is 'Kyyn Tie' and there is one very good reason for that. This song sounds like it comes straight from the Twin Peaks soundtrack. Yes, dark jazz galore with a narrative spoken word and a gloomy atmosphere, irresistible for a dark jazz aficionado like yours truly. Now I definitely want to see this live, dammit. I'm not sure if that will ever happen but this song, and the whole album, is going straight into my day-to-day playlist.

And I suggest you do the same. This is DIY-stuff from a very high level. If you are into anything between Nick Cave, Chelsea Wolfe, Swans and William Burroughs, you need this album. If you like Ween, you'll love 'Vankila'. I know I do. So, I think it's pretty clear that this act has shoved another great piece of music into my mailbox, psychedelic folk music straight from the heart. This comes highly recommended, that's for damn sure...


​Serge


Comments

Samsara Blues Experiment – One With The Universe

17/4/2017

Comments

 
psychedelic, stoner, blues, rock
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our shop
One With The Universe is an album by German psychedelic blues/ stoner rock group Samsara Blues Experiment, released on April 10. With five tracks – Vipassana, Sad Guru Returns, Glorious Daze, One With The Universe and Eastern Sun & Western Moon –, this album has legitimate grooves, a very dynamic symbiosis of sound and an ostensibly singular energy, that highlights an intricate fluidity of capacities, that probably can be considered the best element in their music. 

With an interesting pace, in the slower passages the group follows a more traditional approach in what concerns the stoner rock musicality, despite fresh and interesting guitar lines. With an intriguing level of creativity, that inserts with a vibrating intensity the most overwhelming harmonious elements into their music, the longer songs – as usual, and this should be considered a wider problem that affects the entire genre, and not specifically the band – becomes resented of monotony and exasperation, although musically they do follow with an urgent and efficient technicality the sonorous standards of the genre. 

One With The Universe – mostly instrumental – is a provocative and lucid album, that plays intelligently with a pervasive scale of creative elements. With slower melodies densely relocated in corners severed by interchangeable heavy passages, ignited by a more lucid and voracious seventies rock’n’roll atmosphere, the record has axiomatic moments of intense and exhilarating rapture. Precise and incisive guitar lines also gives to the record a very mordacious tone, where infinitely expansive harmonies draw directly into the center of the universe of the music’s soul pragmatic scales of dreams, that easily becomes lost in the endless vicissitudes, captured by the sensibility of the band’s style. 

Nonetheless, I haven’t found the album to be perfect, despite its vast range of protuberating qualities. With some songs being exceedingly long, an inherent sense of monotony inevitably becomes predominant, and several passages unavoidably sound too extensively generic, repetitive and uniform to support. Technically, though, the album presents an interesting degree of competence and efficiency, that deserves to be appreciated.   

As far as my final evaluation goes, One With The Universe is not a marvelous album, but represents the genre of stoner rock with great sensibility, and displays a respectable degree of lucid, sober and genuine creativity. 


Wagner
Comments

Manescape - Antibodies

13/4/2017

Comments

 
psychedelic / alternative / rock / post punk
bandcamp
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Picture
support Merchants Of Air, check out our shirts
I always wonder how bands like to tag themselves, what kinds of music they claim they play, and then compare it to my own opinions. Sometimes, we seem to think very different things about the music. With this album by Polish rock band Manescape, that is exactly what happened. Their bandcamp mentions 'rock, psychedelic and stoner' but I politely disagree. It is rock, that's true. There are psychedelic aspects, that's also true. But this is not stoner rock, although you can easily enjoying it while smoking a joint.

So, you might wonder, what is it? Well, in short, 'Antibodies' is an excellent alternative rock album where post rock, post punk and shoegaze meet psychedelic rock. At least, that is my opinion. 'Antibodies' contains ten songs, and each of them makes me long for the summer festivals. Songs like the brilliant opener 'Helium' or the energetic 'Beautiful Agony' make me wish I was on a sunlit festival terrain, shaking my hips and tapping my feet, much like songs by Soulwax, Placebo, Muse, The Twilight Sad, The Pixies and many of their colleagues do.

I also hear a lot of references toward English new wave or post-punk bands like Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen and so on. But what I hear most on this album, is enjoyment. These guys love to play music together, which results in music that will easily bring a smile to your face. Their enthusiasm is contagious. I have been tapping along with each and every song so far. 'Helium' remains my favorite but I also adore the uptempo yet melancholic 'Decadence And The Wind', a song that will often appear in my day-to-day playlist from now on.

So, the question now is, who to recommend this album to? To stoner rockers? Well, yeah, why not. This might not really compare to Karma To Burn, Kyuss or Queens Of The Stone Age, but it is superb rock music with some nice groovy riffs. Besides, 'The Yearning' somewhat reminds me of Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, so that's that. Furthermore, of course, all alternative rockers should really try this one. I am absolutely sure that some of you will find a new favorite song on this album. I know I have...


​Serge
Comments

Horte - Horte 

11/4/2017

Comments

 
psychedelic / shoegaze 
Svart Records
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our store
Now here is something unique, something that's quite hard to categorize too. Usually, genres are quite easy to define, except maybe for the highly experimental ones. Yet, this one is not, and to be honest, it's not even that experimental either. It moves somewhere between psychedelic rock, shoegaze and noise pop. It's rock music, but also laced with electronics. It would easily fit in with the bands on today's post rock related festivals but it might also have just arrived here from the seventies. 

Horta is a band from Finland, specialized in music that will guide you through an adventurous journey. This self titled album is just that, a narrative and trance inducing piece of music that will please fans of psychedelic sounds everywhere. Bands that come to mind include Hawkwind, Slowdive, Cocteau Twins, Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Tangerine Dream, Can, Ozric Tentacles, Neu! and even Dead Can Dance. I know, that's a load of different things to throw into one album, but somehow these Fins have pulled it off.

I'm not going into a song-by-song description here, but I will say that there are some brilliant shoegaze rockers, with '78' being the highlight in that aspect. On the other hand, there are calm, soothing ambient passages and psychedelic ballads, mostly accompagnied by beautiful vocals. There are drones, soundscapes, post rock resembling passages and amazing synths. In all, this is a stunning piece of work, one I will recommend to every fan of music that touches your very soul. This is one of those albums you do not want to miss...


Serge


Comments

The Universe By Ear - The Universe By Ear

6/4/2017

Comments

 
psychedelic rock / progressive rock / art rock
Czar Of Crickets
Amazon
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Picture
support Merchants Of Air, check out our shirts
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


Comments

Mothership - High Strangeness

20/3/2017

Comments

 
hard rock / psychedelic rock
Heavy Psych Sounds
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Picture
support Merchants Of Air, check out our ship
Well, it looks like Heavy Psych Sounds have done it again. I don't know where this label keeps on picking up these awesome psychedelic rock bands, but they seem to be throwing one after another into the mix, each time coming up with highly satisfying results. With stuff like this, it seems like the seventies never really ended. And that is a good thing. If you're sick and tired of the modern day rock scene, you will find consolidation in this album.

Mothership is a band from Dallas, Texas. They play pure, honest hard rock and heavy metal, completely drenched in the atmosphere of the seventies. I'm not sure if they named themselves after the Led Zeppelin's greatest hits compilation, but as a reference, Led Zeppelin certainly counts. Other names that come to mind here, include old Iron Maiden, UFO, Black Sabbath and Hawkwind. Not a bad list, right?

The album opens with the title track 'High Strangeness', which functions as an instrumental intro. Yet, personally, I wouldn't mind if Mothership threw some more of these tunes on the album. I dig, a lot. 'Ride The Gun' then comes up with the vintage, old school hard rock, which highlights in the brilliant following track 'Midnight Express'. Yeah, I know, not everything here is very original and it has all been done before but rarely this good.

Another song worth mentioning is 'Crown Of Lies', which seemingly blends Heart's 'Barracuda' with something that Alice In Chains could have written. This song rocks, and might be one of the most radio-friendly ones on this album. So yes, I think these guys have been listening to grunge, along with truckloads of traditional hard rock. On the other hand, perhaps this simply is what vintage hard rock sounds like when it's being played on today's high-end equipment, who knows.

All I know, is that this is once again an excellent album from Heavy Psych Sounds, one that definitely deserves a spot in your collection. If you are into bands like Duel, Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Molly Hatchet or Kadavar, you do have to check this out. People who say that they don't make rock music like they used to, should really start  opening their eyes, ears and hearts to the new crop. They DO make music like they used to...


​Serge

​
Comments

Mongolito - Odyssey

16/3/2017

Comments

 
ambient / drone / experimental
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our shirts
In the past, I have been pretty lyrical about our Belgian drone and ambient artists and their stunning diversity. Well, today, I'd like to throw another one on the already impressive pile, one that has been roaming in the world of music since the late eighties. His name is Marc De Backer and you might know him from the krautrock meets black metal act Wolvennest. Under his moniker Mongolito, he comes up with a psychedelic approach to the guitar driven drone and ambient we Belgians are so damn good at.

However, although Mongolito can easily be placed among one-man-and-his-guitar acts like Dirk Serries, Stratosphere and Ashtoreth, he seems to prefer to dwell in the psychedelic regions of the scene. Most of the tracks on 'Odyssey' are no mere ambient tunes but psychedelic krautrock anthems. Drones are just one part of Mongolito's music, the other part consists of immersive plucks and epic soundscapes. They are perfectly suited to add vocals but that is not needed. The tracks are strong enough without them.

It's no wonder the this album got picked up by Hau Ruck! records, which is run by Albin Julius of Der Blutharsch and the Infinite Church of the Leading Hand. The music on 'Odyssey' fits perfectly with what Der Blutharsch create these days, be it in a more intimate and minimal setting. 'Thy Will Be Done', for example, is a highly immersive piece of music, one that will regularly find the way to my speakers. This one thrives on a sluggish tempo and features influences from both kraut and post rock 

I'm not going into a song-by-song description here but I will recommend this one to all fans of slow, instrumental music, including but not restricted to post rock, ambient, krautrock and psychedelic rock. This is simply another beautiful example of how versatile one can be with a guitar and a deck of effect and loop pedals. The one-man drone scene is evolving is that is a damn good thing. It keeps things vibrant and interesting and this album is both. So check it out, you will not be disappointed...


​Serge


Comments

Electric Octopus – Smokyhead 

13/3/2017

Comments

 
psychedelic / blues
bandcamp
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our shop
Smokyhead is an album by Northern Irish psychedelic blues rock trio Electric Octopus, released in March 3. Thirty five minutes long, having only three tracks – Smokyhead, For Now and Leaving Room – Smokyhead is an interesting record, with intriguing harmonies, and a very well-balanced musical sentiment, that levitates throughout intensely serene melodies, elaborated with profound delicacy, refinement and mastery. 

Smokyhead is a charming and very expressive album. Although the record is far from being formidable, it can be firmly categorized as a marvelous work of art, that has on the soul of its essence a sophisticated carefulness, that knows how to properly introduce minor details into the songs, in a genuine musical layout, that aspire to be something astoundingly peculiar, and profoundly intrinsic to the dimension of the sound as well.  

The intuitive elements of the music rely on its calm fusion of density and serenity, that expands an atmosphere of overwhelming quietness. The essential emptiness characterized by the uniqueness of its vast and infinite soundscape relies on the vitality of a painful, but poetic sincerity, that slowly unveils a lucid sound bound to a chain of dead souls. And their art is so incredibly balanced, but well-centered at the same time, that the consistency of the style can be felt as strikingly relevant, although you really have to feel an affinity to this genre of music, as this is the only way for the essence of the sound to be able to penetrate your soul, your mind and your body, with the purpose to enjoy a dense and hyperbolic dimensional experience, that certainly will change the colors of your perceptions. 

Smokyhead, undoubtedly, is an interesting album, although it stands far away from more magnificent results. Nonetheless, captivating melodies, creative harmonies and competent technical skills are undeniable qualities of Electric Octopus, that really knows how to create a very good, awesome album, with a genuine perception of its own ambitions concerning their intended artistic goals.      

 
 
Wagner 
Comments

PH - Eternal Hayden 

7/3/2017

Comments

 
psychedelic / post rock / progessive
Svart Records
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our shop
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
Comments

Brieviews 21

4/3/2017

Comments

 
Picture
Picture
check out our silly stuff

Ibyss - Hate Speech

industrial metal
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
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
facebook
Picture
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
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
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
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
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
facebook
Picture
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
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
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
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
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
Amazon
facebook
Picture
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
bandcamp
Amazon
facebook
Picture
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
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
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
bandcamp
Amazon
facebook
Picture
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
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
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
Comments

Holy Monitor – Holy Monitor

28/2/2017

Comments

 
krautrock
bandcamp
Amazon
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our shirts
Holy Monitor is an album released on February 17, by the Greek krautrock musical collective of the same name. Thirty seven minutes long, the record has ten tracks: Halcyon, Nemesis, Bed Of The Earth, The Vine, Golden Light, Αφροδίτη, Bend The Trees, Icarus, Ice Giants and Cacti. A very surprising and vibrating album, with an amazingly original sonorous approach, the rhythmic impulses are not just overwhelmingly genuine, but revives a very eccentric, majestically creative subgenre of rock. If you haven’t listened before, you better listen to it right now. It’s so surprisingly astounding, authentic, powerful and lucid that you will never believe your ears, no matter how many times you listen to this album. And yet, you will celebrate each and every track of this insane masterpiece! A sagacious, formidable and terrifyingly precious album, the songs are superbly inundated by an electrifying beat, disguised as a thoroughly major musical moonlight, that reenergizes in all guitar lines the tempestuous shadows of a forbidden happiness, that has never been so splendidly solidified in the history of music before.

The tracks are exceedingly powerful, and all of them have very special signatures. With uplifting and sensational vibrating rhythms, each song is a monumental creation per se, with a major set of singular characteristics that explodes in an invisible pattern of emotions, never testified on the creative history of the underground scene. With a musical atmosphere that resurrects the biosphere of a gracious narrative, encircled by a geological form of creative artistry, Holy Monitor embraces a lucid and very effective storm of originality, that gives them a unique shape, unbound by a tremendously expansive musical identity. Their sound is so alive that you literally feel all the musical notes invading your soul with a spontaneous vehemence, lacerating your heart with an oblique insistence, that only a very different genre, executed with an exceptionally skilled musical approach, would be able to perform. 

Holy Monitor, on their eponymous album, has really done a marvelous work. With a strong musical presence and a higher level of originality, extremely uncommon to testify in any genre, they certainly can be regarded as one of the most glorious references in the contemporary development of their genre, for having executed an unparalleled work for the category, that obviously highlights them as one of the most important krautrock groups in the world today (although precisely define their sound, and insert them in one specific category, is a very difficult task, since they incorporate into their music an enormous set of several elements, from a lot of other genres as well).  

Holy Monitor is a splendid group, and their eponymous album is a marvelous record. Everybody that listen to this majestic masterpiece would be wonderfully impressed, and literally without words. Departing from a superior level of creative artistry, Holy Monitor gives us paradise, in a very outstanding, excellent and vivaciously elaborated sonorous dimension.  


Wagner
Comments

Arrakis - Electricon 

21/2/2017

Comments

 
stoner rock / noise rock / psychedelic
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our shirts
Is that a light bulb shoved up someone's private parts? Did Greek stoner rockers Arrakis invent a way to "enlighten" a newborn or are they just a bunch of sadists? Maybe it's just photoshop and did nobody get hurt during the design process, I certainly hope so. But let's not divagate about the cover art, because the first track on this album will probably hurt you enough already, and with that I'm talking about your neck muscles.

Take Karma To Burn, Monkey 3 and My Sleeping Karma, throw them into a blender with Melvins and Buzzov•en and out comes opener 'Plexus', one of the heaviest and  most energetic pieces of psychedelic stoner rock you can imagine. The rest of the album seems to tone down a little but but Arrakis never lose their trance-inducing dynamics. 'Electricon', the track, will have you on a trip through space in no time.

Although there are only five tracks, all instrumental by the way, this album carries plenty of fingerlicking riffs, hypnotic jams and high-octane drums. 'Loot' is a massive sludge-induced piece of music, designed to pierce your eardrums, so be warned. I'll leave the other two tracks up to you, dear reader. You'll be amamzed at the amount of energy coming from this Greek trio. Stoner rock to bang your head to in space, what else could you want?


​Serge


Comments

Brieviews 19

26/1/2017

Comments

 
Picture
Picture
check out our shirts and support Merchants Of Air

Alex Cordo - Origami

progressive metal
Amazon
bandcamp
Picture
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
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
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
bandcamp
Amazon
facebook
Picture
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
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
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
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
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
facebook
Picture
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
bandcamp
Amazon
facebook
Picture
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
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
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
Amazon
facebook
Picture
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
facebook
Picture
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
website
Amazon
facebook
Picture
"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)
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
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
facebook
Picture
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
facebook
Picture
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
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
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
Comments

Lowbau - Urban voodoo

20/1/2017

Comments

 
hard rock / sludge / blues
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our shirts
Well well, it's party time, the kind of party with plenty of booze and some scorching rock 'n roll. Undoubtedly a bar fight will break out sooner or later, demolishing the place and leaving everybody outside in the searing hot desert of... well, Austria. That was unexpected, but nonetheless, you should prepare yourself for the hard rocking psychedelic Southern stoner blues sludge metal by this gang from Vienna. It'll be worth it.

I mean, when a band reminds me of Motorhead, Ramones, Melvins, Guns 'n Roses, Korn, White Zombie, Truckfighters and Fu Manchu in only one three minutes lasting songs, I know that I'm in for something groovy and varied. That song is opener 'Boogie' and it will get any party started. However, Lowbau ain't done there, oh no. 'My Guitar' brings out the harmonica and the blues riffs. Obviously, that quickly turns into full-on stoner rock  that is too nice to be ignored.

​'Pretend' is probably one of my favorite tracks here, an up-tempo party smasher that reeks of vintage hard rock and blues. 'World' suddenly drags the whole thing into the world of death metal, at times reminding me of bands like Entombed. That too was unexpected but the song is a blast, that's for damn sure. And then I even forgot to mention that there are some highly hypnotic psychedelic passages to be found here too.

So yeah, this album is more varied than your underwear-drawer and (hopefully) a lot dirtier as well. Everyone who is into the stuff at festivals like Roadburn, Up In Smoke or Desertfest should start worshipping these Austrians now. I'm secretly hoping that these guys take this stuff on the road, maybe find a label and become on of the next big things in the desert-scene. Judging from this record, they deserve that.


​Serge
Comments

Glasgow Coma Scale - Enter Oblivion

13/1/2017

Comments

 
post rock / psychedelic
Fluttery Records
Amazon
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out post-rock and other t-shirts
See, this is what I love about music. It simply never lets you down, or at least not permanently. Today was one of those days when I just wanted to sit in my comfortable chair and stare at hilarious gifs on 9gag. Problem was, I promised myself to write more reviews, as well as doing some needed household tasks. So in an effort to get myself up and going, I played some heavy albums, starting with some fierce black metal, but that didn't work. Eventually I decided to give in to the indolence and plant my ass in the sofa. Out of the pile-to-review, I selected something calm, something that would ease my mind. Suddenly, I was in a burst of creativity, designed some new t-shirts and wrote a nice passage in a book I'm working on. That is indeed the power of music, and definitely one of the powers of this album.

From the biography: "Glasgow Coma Scale was formed in February 2011 by Piotr and  Marek Kowalski. The two brothers and trained classical musicians  lived their lives between Krakow/Poland, where they were born and  Barcelona/Spain, finally settling in Frankfurt / Germany. However,  they never got the chance to play together in the same band. Along  with the drummer Helmes Bode, the idea has now come full circle".  This album, their second release after an EP, took quite a long time to make, which to me says a lot about the perfectionists that these people really are. Yet, it contains a beautiful and coherent overview of the music they have been making over the years.

That music is post-rock, injected with influences from psychedelic rock and stoner rock. If you want a comparison, think Monkey 3, Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky and My Sleeping Karma making an album together. Yes, it is that good. Like I wrote in the opening paragraph, this album somehow is becoming an inspiration and that's a good thing. With albums like these, the words keep flowing. 'Northern Wastes' is my absolute favorite here, and I think many post rock fans will agree that this this is a masterpiece. It isn't the only remarkable track here either, while opener 'Sonda' gently showcases the splendor, 'Southern Crosses' starts overwhelming the listener before 'Northern Wastes' completely overtakes him.

'Venice Calling' has a nice eighties feel to it. Uptempo post-rock isn't always very successful but this song is awesome. Caspian comes to mind, along with things like A Flock Of Seagulls or Echo & the Bunnymen. I'm not sure if that's intended, maybe I'm just getting old enough to see these decades-crossing comparisons. The other three tracks are up to you, dear reader, I think I've glorified this album enough by now. Trust me, this one really is worth checking out, certainly if you're a post-rock fan. I mean, 'Enter Oblivion' got me from "meh" to "I want to be on Dunk! Festival with these guys playing live and I want it now" in seven seconds. That's not something every band succeeds in, right?



​Serge
Comments

Vinnum Sabbathi – Gravity Works

10/1/2017

Comments

 
stoner rock / doom
bandcamp
facebook
Picture
Picture
check out our shirts
Gravity Works is an album released on January 3, by Mexican soft stoner rock band Vinnum Sabbathi. Almost forty two minutes long, with only five tracks – Weightlessness, Early Works, Gravity Waves, Loop Quantum Gravity and The Probe B – this space themed album is very soft and calm in nature, having a subtlety atmospheric layout, that easily displays soft harmonies and calm melodies, all the way through. 

With a good and detailed guitar work, the calm rhythms are juxtaposed in a very transcendental overview, although you have to be emotionally aligned with their musical proposal, otherwise you will by inevitably bored. The album unfortunately is monotonous for the most part, despite the unraveling of an interesting musical technique.  Although the rhythm of the songs in a context is somewhat predictable, they undoubtedly excel in their musical predisposition. An instrumental album that has a mainstay of a constant and natural distribution of sound, Gravity Works is somewhat an exercise of patience, that expands the power of calmness in reluctantly aggrandizing melodies, that feels the intricate power of its notes at the bottom of its profound and relentless diagram of musical principles.    

Although it is far from being considered a great album, Gravity Works is a decent record, especially if analyzed in the context of its sonorous expectations. Considered good in an evaluation typified by its own terms, this work has its merits and qualities, being original in a certain point. Nevertheless, it will hardly be a favorite, with the possible exception of a very specific audience, appreciative of really slow tunes. While this album is somewhat good, you can’t avoid the feeling that something was missing. The lack of rapid passages possibly explains the absence of enthusiasm that somehow seems to affect the structure of their style. 

Nevertheless, Vinnum Sabbathi seems to be a genuine band, and they are very skilled technically. With a decent level of musical proficiency, they have managed to do a regular album, which shows a work that can evolve to better records in the future. Highly recommended for stoner rock enthusiasts, Gravity Works, while it can’t be considered a great album, still manages to be a decent record, if you by any chance consider yourself an enthusiast of the genre. Otherwise, you will be totally bored. 

A perennial work that easily evolves from a slow guitar motion into the vastness of the universe, Gravity Works certainly has qualities that allow the album to be appreciated. But don’t expect too much beyond that. Certain passages will leave you exasperated, and you will hardly find the desire to listen to this record for a second time.     



Wagner
Comments
<<Previous
    subscribe to our newsletter

    Genres

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

    Archives

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

Find us on

facebook
google+
twitter
tumblr
​
minds

About Us

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