Caudal : "Ascension"

It's that time of the year when new releases start slowing down and you find yourself either going back to catch up on what you missed or grasping at straws in hopes that anything you see might be good. This was the latter. There are many labels being thrown around in regards to this band, but I am here to tell you that while there might be other elements these guys are post-rock. Not as focused on the rock as say Russian Circles. There focus seems to be to provide the sound track to your dreamscapes.They have called themselves or been called trance punk, but that's another way of saying post-rock, but without coming across so harsh in doing so since post-rock was a thing up until 2011. The last Godspeedyoublackemperor made every shake their head and settle for being just a rock band.

These guys to have Nadja's guitarist Aidan Baker in their ranks. They pretty groove over one riff on the opener "Uprise". I should not have quit smoking pot. This drone would have made more sense then. It does build, but at the nine minute mark when you are only at the half way point, you begin to wonder how are they going to keep my attention for another nine minutes. There answer to this question sees to be bathe you in more effects. Doing this doesn't make them shoe gaze, as there is way too much movement going on for that. This could have used vocals. At the ten a half minute mark they break down into almost silence. The drums lightly tap their way back in to what might as well be a different song at this point. Six minutes later when they have built it back up into a transcendent groove you find yourself more forgiving of the previous droning.

 "Slow Bow" is more subdued with a slight jazz inflection to it, before floating off into a similar place in the heavens as Explosions in the Sky. I like how it turns around at the four minute mark and gets darker.I can see the kraut rock comparisons here, but it won't change the fact they are a post-rock band.In the song's final minutes the sonic clouds become a blanket of white noise. Sure this is trance like , but there is nothing punk about it. The closing song "451s2" is how a lunar landing might feel on DMT. Two minutes in they decide to make it a song and the Stuart Copeland drums snap into it.Once the two minute mark comes and they are still resistant to build this into something with hopes to rock the fuck out . Overall I'll give this one a 7.5, some cool idea , round it up if you like instrumental post- rock with an odd creative ear.