Hooded Menace : "The Tritonus Bell"

 

This band from Finland never struck me over the course of their careers so far as being as creative in the song writing department as they have so midway into the first song of this album. The have really paid more attention to their guitar melodies without becomes cheesy melo-death. The low guttural vocals could always turn into the one-dimensional element that shoots this inspiration down as the album progresses so we will see.   When it comes to death metal, if we transition into the second song and it does not sound the same as the first song then we are on the right track, though I am beginning to get a sinking feeling in regard to my previous statement about the vocals. The opening riff of the second song, repeats later in the song, and while it is cool the rule here is cool riffs alone does not a good song make, for now it is getting them by.

There is a more angular turn in the riffs that comprise "Those who absorb the Night" Granted this did not jump out and grab me on the first listen to I had to go back and dig into it again. The guitar work is impressive. The drummer is fading into the background making me think he is more into doom than death metal. This song leans them in that direction for sure. I appreciate the gallop they charge into "". Things change up and a more mournful spoken vocal that borders on goth singing comes in. I guess here is where the Paradise Lost influence comes into play. The more doomy and dismal moods continue to writhe to life with "Scattered into Dark". I am convinced they do not want to just break the news that they decided to just become a doom band, which I think I prefer as this is hands down better than what I have previously heard from this band.

It is sad that the version Season of Mist sent me does not have the bonus track which is the WASP cover. Instead, I will just accept the instrumental that clocks in just under three minutes as the last song. I am not normally big on instrumentals, and while it does serve as book ends to the guitar solo it is all so well done, I am not only ok with it but like it. I will give this one a 9.5 as the vocals can be a bit of a one trick pony the music has to distract me from. With that said this is one of the year's best death doom releases.    

Turnstile : "GLOW ON"

The evolution of this band from hard core to whatever they are now happened from the corner of my eye , but now they have my full attention. In some ways there is a Fugazi vibe from the attack of the vocals. This is combined with a Helmet like punchiness . There is still plenty of room for taunt melodies. Musically they bring in sounds from all over the place. Normally I review albums in real time as I listen to them for the first time. This one is so good I played through it a few times before making it to my computer to write about this. 

 The speed propelling "Don't Speed" is the first solid sonic commitment to being a punk band that I have heard on this album so far. It kicks around with playful yet forceful energy that is convincing in the emotions it needs to vent. Things continue to get weird on "Underwater Boi" .  It is hard to even classify what genre they are occupying, it reminds me of the Police a little. The guitars return to  a more crunchy groove for "Holiday" . The vocals are also more aggressive. Things build into more of a bounce. I have heard some Bad Brains influence in the bounce of the riffs now I heard some Ramones in the vocals of "Humanoid" .  They get closer to conventional punk with "Endless". The vocals are generally more shouted here. They hooks to "Fly Again" are infectious , perhaps making it my favorite song on the album. 

There is a shoe gazing glaze to "Alien Love Call".  It brings the more recent Deftones to mind. The come back angrier with the more punk "Wild Wrld". 'Dance Off" has a fun stompy groove to it. This creates almost more of a rock in roll feel. There is a more unique stylistic shift much like they do with "Underwater Boi" where it gets hard to neatly file it under any one genre. Progressive hard-core?  Then they are back with more straightforward hard core on "TLC"  the chant of  "I want to thank you/ for letting me be myself" is a nice touch. It ends with the more aggressive with atmospheric blend found  "LonelyDezires".  I will give this album a 10, they hit all the right spots with this one. 

Fotocrime : "Heart of Crime"

The uber retro synths and more spoken vocals caught me off guard going into this . When guitars and more actual instruments come in on the second song things begin to feel more familiar. There is a touch of Sisters of Mercy to it. I recall his singing having improved more and you do not get to hear and attempt at vocal melodies until "So so Low". There is something about the guitars on the song that makes me think of Bruce Springsteen. "Delicate Prey" is super 80s I am talking early Depeche Mode here. Less guitar more dancey. Overall five songs in an I think it is safe to say we are seeing a progression from post-punk into this . 

"Crystal Caves" starts more typical Cure like post-punk, there are some female vocals that chime in to add different atmosphere. The vocals continue to be the raspy whisper . On the more droning song that follows this it strikes me that he sound like Leonard Cohen.  I prefer the more industrial turn taken on "Industry Pig".  He goes back into a more Sister of Mercy place on "Zoe Rising".  Though like dance oriented and not as driving in the guitar or bass line department. This is corrected and both of those elements are present in " Inferno Rebels" . Not that I need him to sound more like Sisters of Mercy, but that is the direction it goes in.

The gloomy bottom of a bottle whiskey folk of  Nick Cave is summoned up with a side of electronic ambiance on "Learn to Love the Lash" . It takes a dramatic turn in terms of how the dynamics shifts that is a game changer and makes it all come together in an impressive manner. Any time a band can give me something like this that I am not expecting , I am sold.  "Skinned Alive" has synths that are brighter than the rest of the album, and while it works for what it is , walks a thin line in that regard. It's missteps like this that are why I am giving this an 8.5,  there are some great moments that show growth, the direction he is growing in is not always for me.     

 

Slothrust : "Parallel Timeline"

Things are different. The mood has changed and matured even before we get to the hazy, with a jammed out ending highlighted by stellar guitar work, this marks a departure from how they kicked off their last album "the Pact". Where "|the Pact" was a much more polished effort than their previous albums, this one is another step forward in the refinement of their sound. They are less grunge than their earlier work, but still pack more punch than say HAIM.  As with previous efforts , when they back off of  the rocking , and she is given more breathing room to open and really sing, the magic happens. Not to say there is anything wrong with the first two songs , things just start clicking into place with "Courtesy". I did not expect Lizzy Hale to show up on "the Next Curse" . I just I never think of Halestorm and Slothrust being in the same sonic zip code. It works pretty well and finds the guitar sound back in a grunge direction. 

I heard "Strange Astrology" ahead of getting the entire album, and was impressed by the smooth hooky flow. Lyrically it  reminds me of all the astrology memes that littler my social media feeds. Waiting" starts off as a thoughtful piano ballad before the rest of the band kicks in. This is the crunchiest guitar tone so far.  This is not the album's only introspective piano centric moment, as they continue in this direction with "King Arthur's Seat" which bears some Beatles influence. Not what I expected from them going into this album, but I am here for it. There is a more folk feel to "A Giant Swallow" . The vocal melody to this one is fantastic and solidifies her on equal footing as any artist when it comes to song writing.  

There is a darker creep to the more emotionally urgent 'White Rabbits" which might be my favorite song on the album as it has everything I could want from these guys. I was also not expecting the title track that closes the album to be a soulful folk song.  The harmonies are perfect. In some ways it reminds me of Pink Floyd's more straight forward moments. I will round this one up to a 10 as there is not a bad song on it, some just need to grow on me slightly, though more often than not they drew me in and made me want to hear them again.    

Danko Jones : " Power Trio"

 I know these guys have been at it for a while and I have heard their singer on other sings but never really sat down to digest t an entire album of theirs. I have caught little snippets of their singers talking all kinds of political bs, so that was a turn off but being able to separate stuff like that from the artist  as long as they are not shoving it down my throat I settled down for a listen to find something that sounds like if James Hetfield was fronting a cock rock band. In some ways that equates Monster Magnet, but here it is a little more straight forward. It is ok, but wondering if we are getting an entire album of this dynamic. The second song is more like if Clutch was a cock rock band. Then on the 3rd song we come to the root of the influence here which is  AC/DC. Pretty meat and potatoes rock n roll. 

This kind of lowest common denominator party rock was huge in the 80s and they brought that spirit with them. Aside from the "Owner of a lonely heart" style riff, they shit the bed with what might have been an otherwise interesting song with the lyrics to "Raise Some Hell". They are back on more of a Clutch tip with "Blue Jean Denim Jumpsuit". But the cock rock is dialed up to 11. While I love Clutch I have more respect for the Thin Lizzy vibe to "Get to You". Which is my favorite song so far. "Dangerous Kiss' just feels like we are recycling some of the same things. By the time I get to "Let's Rock Together"|    I am bored/.  "Flaunt it" tries pretty hard to be punk rock , but is the least interesting song so far as this could be any garage band in any bar. 

The difference between being influenced by a band and ripping them off is illustrated on the last song. On "Saturday" we heard them influenced by AC/DC. On the last song we get to hear them ripping them off.     I will give this album a 7.5, as it starts off fun and then gets boring and uninspired, as long as these guys have been at this they should be doing better. 

The first tracks is pretty much color by numbers mainstream metal, with the guitars taking a few tricky turns , rather than just grooving. the fact Tatiana has a power gender neutral growl is now a mute point. It is her sing voice that helps set them apart. New Spirit Box is going to drop and then what ? Aside from the clean sung section the rest of  "Colossus" is just a grab bag of stock metal riffs. nd well produced but it is the more dynamic side that is touched upon with "Vortex' that makes them stand out more. Do the first two songs come across as heavy ?  Compared to what ? Normal mainstream metal? yes... compared to Ruin or LLNN ? No. They are not even the heaviest Ukrainian band. "Vortex" does return like a dog to it's shit and allow it self to wander into the maze of typical metal riffs but the more melodic sections offset this. 

By the time we are at "Disclosure" the songs begin to sound the same. The song itself holds it's own again the first few songs but when it progresses into a heavier dynamic the album begins to become a blur of crunchy riffs. There is very much a formula beginning to develop. Perhaps it is the more break neck speed "Copy Cat " crunches at when the more hooky sung vocal is not in session, that makes this song kind a pass by in a blur. Much like the singer from Sumo Cyco, Gwen Stefani seems to be an influence on the sung vocals. This gives them a more poppy undercoating. It does not make "Pearls and Swine" much more interesting . The main riff does throb with a little more atmosphere, but other more typical metal core tropes tend to over power this. The drummer is great. They are are much better musicians than they are song writers. Though even they show potential, I think if they did not go to the more obvious places then it might be more interesting. Granted I have been listening to metal for at least 35 years , so I have heard all of their better riffs played by bands 30 years ago when thrash was breaking out , so I am less impressed than a 12 year old who is just discovering metal. They just do not know better.   

Does "Sleep of the Righteous" convince me otherwise?  Um, no it kind of sounds like they are recycling riffs before it takes a melodic turn. The title track is pretty cool, though from what I remember of their previous work they have already done something in this zip code so they are not really breaking new ground as a band , but it is better songwriting. I fear the same thing can be said of "Dead Hands Feel No Pain" . Sure there are some technical riffs , but aside from dissonance they do no consistently do a great deal for me here. "As I Boil Ice" feels like it just picks up where the other song left off.  They do make it more interesting the the past couple of songs. The last song was pretty meh... nothing new to hear here moving on. I will give it an 8, it's well done and there are a few good songs, just kinda played out when they needed to bring something new to the table. 

Chvrches : "Screen Violence"

 

The Scottish pop band's 4th album. The title come from how they made this album remotely during the pandemic. It picks up where they left off at first and then goes in more interesting places as the album progresses. Mayberry may not employ a great deal of new tools in her arsenal, apart from production tricks , but continues to sharpen what she has been doing. Her growth comes more in the form of her lyrics. This is much more noted in the second song. The plays around with auto tune on her vocals but uses it the way a guitarist uses effects rather than relying on it to hit notes. "California" doubles back on musical themes that seem familiar. It is a case of a band respecting their sound and not trying to fix what is not broken. 

The high light of this album is the fact guitar has begun to play a more crucial role in the songs. This gives everything a more organic sound. For some reason the only song that doesn't connect with me , is "Violent Delights" . The drums sound is interesting. There is guitar, it might be too upbeat. I am not sure what is not clicking. "How Not to Drown" might not just be the album's best song, but one of the year's best songs. It also features Robert Smith, so that doesn't hurt. The ways the beat drives and how her voice rides it is perfect. Smith's voice sounds great and gives me hope for the next Cure, album, but even if he was not on this track I would like it. I read some snippets online where they are trying to call this the band's horror album because "Final Girl' uses the female victim's role as a metaphor for other things, This does carry over into the song after to some extent, there is much moiré to the sing.  The bass line and guitars make it more than the few lines that refer to horror' movies in an abstract way. 

 The 80s reverb to the drum programming to "Lullabies" is the only thing that draws it away from sounding organic and giving it a more pop sound. The song is mainly held together with piano and guitar . The bass line on the verse could be more post-punk if higher in the mix.   Mayberry is more of the sugar coating to this song. "Nightmares" gives "How Not to Drown" a close run for being the album's best song, I think the hook to the latter wins out thought "Nightmares" is more musically complex and at one point has an industrial strength guitar tone.  Speaking of guitar, it is one of the predominant instruments in the last song. I will go ahead and round this one up to a 10 as it is still growing on me and finds the band growing in the right direction. 

 

 

Liars : " the Apple Drop"

 The 10th album from this experimental  project whose only consistent member is the founder Angus Andrew . They continue to throw electronic music against post-punk and see what happenings. Each album has a different result , this one is no different in that regard. Perhaps equal parts moodier and darker. The vocals of the second song "Slow and Turn Inward"  find them conforming more to conventional song writing than previously expected. His melodies range in shades of depression and unhinged tension. "Sekwar' drones into some hypnotic and beautiful places. I have always thought of this band as being torchbearers for the kinds of moods Swans brooded from in the 90s. 

There are moment of sonic beauty on songs like "Big Appetite" . It flows more than grooves and the mesmerizes with the shimmer from the shadows. If you are wanting this project at it's weirdest and most dissonant, then this album might not be for you as more often than not it has coherent songs. Songs that hit you with a narcotic pulse and a sardonic scowl, but very textured and melodic none the less. In fact five songs in and I was convinced this is the best I have heard from these guys in a while. Perhaps more emotive there are moments where it feels like they are cut from a similar cloth as post -"Daydream Nation" Sonic Youth. There is plenty of eerie atmosphere coloring the sounds they wove into songs here. This is more accessible as in it is easy on the ears, but far from selling out or any appeal for radio play .I mean is there such a thing as alternative radio to play this sort of thing on in the first place.  

They reach for the heavens with the chilling "Star Search" . His baritone proves flexible in it's moan. His croon leans more towards a ritualistic sing song chant at time. His falsetto is more like a a voice cracking in a very creepy manner.  "My Pulse to Ponder" is the first song to have a more tangible punk in it's veins and by punk we are talking the Stooges here. Production wise this album is perfect as it is raw enough to get the point across, yet mixed in  manner that balances all of the lush sounds being gathered . The buzz of analog synths dominates "Leisure War".  One of the album's more angular songs. It is the interesting drum mix that keeps the song on it's feet. In some ways "King of Crooks' feels like a continuation of the mood established on the previous song, just smoothed out with a dreamier vibe. The hypnotic flavor of weird comes together with a glaze of psyche on "Acid Crop".  The last song is more of an outro as the experimentation gets dialed up to focus on ambiance more than song, regardless his songwriting was at the top of his game this time so I will round this up to a 9.5     

. 

Between the Buried and Me : " Colors 2"

A sequel to a previous album? um ok, this is the band's 10th album. They have really turned from their metal core roots and gone all out on the prog thing. This has more in common with Radiohead than Converge. Though a metal riff does come into play on the first as well as harsher vocals the guitars are just so busy it does not come across as being all that heavy to me. The second song is pretty much just a continuation of the first. It is more straight forward from a metal perspective on the onset of the song. Some of the problem in terms with heaviness is the production. It is too cleanly mixed. There needs to be way more grit in the guitars. This is commonly a problem with this kind of metal. The sung vocal melody that comes in is kind of cool but I am not hearing much that Dillinger Escape Plan does not already do better.  He metal guitars just give you little to head bang with on the first few songs. There is one chugged riff that works well, but not enough to hang the entire song on. The jarring transition is not that jarring as you knew it what coming. The first two songs leave me feeling like they wanted to get back together and just punched a time clock. 

There is not question they are good at what they do. Can they play their instruments to great even masturbatory excellence ...yes. Can they write a song that I really give a shit about, well that remains to be seen, I am impressed with the power metal like vocals on "Revolution in Limbo" , thought I would have been more impressed if they hade more balls to them like Judas Priest instead of being more Dream Theater. They answer my previous question and show how they can allow their technical ability to shift into the more latin feeling groove at the end of the song. "Fix the Error" goes from a more jammy sounding thing to metal more along the lines of Chaos AD Sepultura. Which is an improvement over color by numbers metal core. They go back to the jammy part which is less metal but more fun. It is not until the folk metal section two minutes into "Never see" that I realize we are on a different song , so even for all the twists and turns there is a uniformity amid the quirk.

 I do like the second part of this song called  " Future shock' and the more traditional classic metal sound to the vocals which are less Dream Theater like here. This spills over into "Stare into the Abyss' which if it was not for the 80s sounding keyboards there would be nothing to tell it apart from the path they were heading on the previous song. It is the first song I have really dug start to finish so far. At "Prehistory" I had to start paying more attention to the iTunes screen, in order to keep track of the song we are on . Things have begun to improve as I appreciate their tribute to Mr Bungle, then on "Bad Habits" they delve into some more traditional prog tropes. |They do prog in a more interesting fashion that is closer to the zip code of past touring buddies Cynic with "the Future is Behind Us" . The more retro synth stylings that have become popular in recent years is a trend they are well aware of as evident on "Turbulent".. Some of this vibe carries over into the following song which has some pretty tasty guitar work and by that I mean in the Pink Floyd sense not pointless wanking.

The fifteen minute closing song is all the excess you might want from this band. It comes across a little heavier than some of the other metal moments on this album. But not as heavy as their pre-2005 stuff. Could they have trimmed the fat and written a better song in 9 minutes , yes.  There we maybe three songs I really dug the rest of the album I appreciated . Some of the prog extravagance might be impressive , but did not always equate writing the best song possible so I am giving this one an 8.      

 

 

9.3

Starless : " Hope is Leaving You"

 The trend for progressive rock bands is to pretend to be a post rock band instead. At least that is how this band is being marketed. I like the often moody shifts the delve into and the fact the vocals are sung . There are not guitar solos blazing out of every corner, and when they surface they normally are weaving melodies, so this puts them ahead of what we commonly think of as progressive rock. I have to listen to this album several times as many of the songs have the same feel and it begins to run together. There is more noise going into the second song. There is a slightly shoe gazing drone, to the lull of the vocals . 

Normally I just write stream of consciousness as I go through an album on the the first listen, but I have left this one playing for a few days which says a great deal in it's favor. "Forest" flows the best of the first three songs and might be the album's best song . Things stay on the darker side of moody for "All the Winter". The vocals begin to remind me more of Opeth's mellower moments. There is the crunch of distortion here, and they are a metal band by definition they are certainly more middle of the road due to atmosphere and in the zip code of perhaps Katatonia when it comes to where they fall in terms of heaviness or the lack of.

"Devils" kinds of drifts on with the drone of it's melody. It floats nicely in the background but is not the most compelling listen. "Citizen" has echoes of Quicksand to it. Perhaps it is the voices, but the guitar have more grunge to their jangle. They flex a wider range of dynamics while still sticking to the more droning ambiance they have on the last song that feels like a metal version of Arcade Fire. I will round this up to a 9.5 ,as I think the sonic colors they use are pretty cool and this album flows in a way that I can just leave this on., 

Harmony Woods : "Graceful Rage"

I was going to write if you wanted to hear what Dashboard Confessional would sound like if fronted by a girl , but I think we have already crossed that line with him. There is more of an honest folk feel to the lyrically clever opener. The emo influence is more subtle at first and it is not until the band really kicks into things a couple songs in that it clicks in that way. There is more of a folk rock vibe on the second song, not as biting as say Ani , but not full on emo yet, reminds me more of alternative artists from the 90s who crossed over into radio." Easy" is the most emotive so far and shows an impressive sense of dynamics. Sofia has a strong voice which helps this though, she tends to stay in a similar register most of the time, she just belts it out more sometimes than others. When floating into some of the harmonies she is most impressive. 

 There is more of a rock guitar tension to "Holding Onto You" . This creates a mood not unlike some of the Police's moodier tunes. Everything falls in place pretty perfectly with this one. There is more of a punk feel, if we are talking about the more Runaways era of punk, with "God's Gift to Women" . So lyrically with have scorned lovers and all the other high school drama that comes with dating. There is a more introspective and thoughtful tone to the lyrics of the title track that transcend the more childish attitudes. Granted that song with fun , this one is just more mature and has more impact. 

The last song does not break any new ground and finds them doing what they are good at which to some extent I suppose if it is not broken do not fix it . If this had come out in 1999 , I would have been more impressed. Good songwriting, but is it able to compete with the Chelsea Wolfes and Emma Ruth Rundles of the world ? Perhaps not, but kids in high school still need this sort of thing to listen to since their lives seem so serious right now.  What they have done is solid for the kind of music they are making so I will give it an 8.5 

Necronautical : "Slain in Spirit"

 Symphonic death metal is not normally my thing. If it gets to Nightwish like then I am out for sure. This British band give it enough teeth and hook in the guitars to make it interesting. They begin sounding like songs that Dimmu did not care enough to make cooler riff wise, on the second song. This is still better than your run of the mill death metal band as Dimmu's throw away riffs are still good enough. The guitar playing is nuanced when it needs to be , but it feels like we are often just checking off the boxes for needed metal tropes. There is a touch of black metal to the title track. At this point any band from Europe this is almost a given , unless they are fully entrenched in the sound of their region like say Swedish Death Metal. There are some cool head banging riffs to this one , but the rule here is cool riffs alone does not a good song make. 

"Hypnogogia"  seems intent on sticking to the sounds they have used thus far. Yes there is a shift in melody. This is perhaps catchier than the previous song which relies more on speed. They rock out with more authority when they are pummeling into you on "Pure Consciousness Event".  I breezed through "Necropsychonautics" without really being aware that I was on a new song. So this is an indication that all their songs begin to sound the same to me. Sung vocals come in , somewhat like Dimmu does though they do not sweep in and take over the song. The pace of the song stays the course and they chime in from the background. The higher more black metal like vocals begin to control the mic at this point. There is a gothy symphonic section at one point that is a nice touch. 

The chug that drives "Death Magic Triumphant" works better than many forms of attack they have employed thus far. Upon hearing their cover of "Disciple" I think it is clear this band missed their calling as a Slayer tribute band. Who knew a death metal tribute to Slayer is what this album needed. The best song is not their song is another way of reading that I suppose. I will round this down to an 8, they have mastered the sound and 80 percent of what they do is well done , though not the most original thing , and I do not have a great deal of time to listen to music  I am not reviewing so when I do I stick to what has more of it's own voice, but you might not have this problem.  

Sturgill Simpson : " The Ballad of Dood & Juanita"

 Here is a concept album of sorts . It is more on the bluegrass side of the equation of what he does. The banjo plays a big role as Simpson digs in with a more back hills melody. "One in the Saddle"  finds him picking and grinning his way into more traditional commercial country if we are talking about the 60s and 70s thought with less cross over radio aspirations. The story is about a guy named Dood. I am not really following the plot more than somebody got shot and Shamrock is the name of his horse. Juanita appears to be his wife who this cowboy is going to go look for. The banjo playing picking up as Simpson's voice drops down into more of a Johnny Cash register, and lyrically he is telling stories in a similar manner ,I can also hear some Waylon in there as well. The harmonies of the vocals are tight and effective.  The banjos being shredded here are mind-blowing. 

"Played Out" is more of what I expect from him. By expect this is a guy who is not afraid to go way outside of country music, so in this sense I am talking about expect when he takes a legit stab at old school country. The melody has taken me out of the narrative and forget this is a story which is a good thing . |The ode to his dead dog Sam, is just over a minute long but still works as a song. Grind core bands take note/. "Juanita" has a Spanish feel to it's Western sway . It also includes Willie Nelson lending his voice which I am not sure how much more you can ask from country music. Simpson really belts it out in a few places and reminds you he can sing his ass off when he needs to .  

We are back to blue grass on "Go In Peace' . Which is cool in the sense that they are jamming out and doing it well, the kicker is I am not hearing as much of who Sturgill is on this one and just him getting the job done. The last find you hear more of that , though he is still paying homage to traditional country.  I will round this album up to a 9.5 , as he is great at what he does, there are a few songs that are a little too blue grass for my normal listening, but I enjoy this for what it is and fans of country music, the real kind not the pop kind will embrace this.   

the Top 10 Post-Punk Guitarists

Here is one for my friend Oliver Sheppard. Rather than save it for the celebration of goth in October I do here, I am knocking this out now. More often driven by slinky bass lines , the guitarists of Post-punk bands are unsung heroes creating tension in the shadows.  Granted when it comes to post-punk I prefer the more death rock side of the graveyard, but I have also included some players who influenced the genre as a whole even if they are not just thought off as the ghoul fathers of the genre .Let us go ahead   release the bats and have a listen to my Top 10 Post - Punk Guitarists.  

10--Rikk Agnew 

This Christian Death guitarist captured the creepy underbelly of the scene they came from with his tone and the slink of his guitar melodies.

   

9-Bernard Sumner

Often imitated, he made the most with what he had to work with and was a mater at crafting tension.

   

8- Andy Gill 

Gang of Four was more punk than most of the bands represented on this list, yet Gill's often aggressive jangle put some fun in the otherwise explosive temperament of the band. Perhaps not  the darkest sound here, but a very influential one. 

 

 7-Geordie Walker 

A well rounded player who evolved along with his band until he ushered in what would be the precursor to industrial, rather than settling for metal , he kept things sonically heavy.

 

6-Paul Wright 

Before Type O Negative, came Wright's band who got heavier with each album, thanks in part to the roar of their singer . Wright started started off learning jazz which opened the doors to a wider world of chord phrasings

    

5- Robin Guthrie

His tone is the Las Vegas to his counterparts heaven of a voice. All too often bands focus more on a sound than songs, he made his sound into songs .

    

4-Daniel Ash 

There is something beautiful and biting that puts him up[ this high on the list. He can stir darkness together in chilling chords, but still has balls to his playing that is heavy in it's own right.

 

3-Robert Smith 

An underrated player , what puts Smith above the bulk of his peers is his range as a player, his playing was always evolving into a broader expanse of sonic colors and styles , rather than just sticking to his simplistic punk roots

     

2-Carlos Alomar 

Mick Ronson, is a guitar hero of another era, Reeves Gabrels also deserves honorable mention for his work in Tin Machine alone, not to mention he is a member of the Cure , but Alomar worked alongside the likes of  Robert Fripp to craft an off kilter dissonant sound to influence post punk to come, he also played on some of Iggy Pop's more iconic solo albums. 

1-Johnny Marr

He should be in the top ten of any guitar list. His tone is immaculate and he made using a clean tone cool during a time when Eddie Van Halen was taking his own flashy throne that is the polar opposite to what Marr was doing in the Smiths . If this is to be called into question, then pick one of the many odd tuning's Marr played in and try learning some of  his weird and wonderful chord structures they are a lot harder than they sound. He made it look easy. 

Deafheaven : "Infinite Granite"

If you are shocked that this band has crossed over and made a total shoe gaze album then you have not been paying attention. George Clark has been slowly working on his actual singing voice. He is a better singer than he was a screamer, as with a few exceptions while emotive his scream was always more of a one trick pony. If he was screaming on this album there would be be people who would still try to call this metal. "In a Blur' is more interesting than what most of the other new shoe gaze bands are doing these days. He also tries  to create melodies rather than the normal breathy cooing most utter. "Great Mass of Color' was one of the singles that preceded the album. There is more drive and dynamic than your average shoe gaze band who is not Nothing. The vocals sit back in the mix , but I remember being a little more impressed with his singing here and how he blends his upper register despite not being able to really belt or at least I have not heard him do so yet.  In the past you could kind of get the vibe this band were Smiths fans and it comes up again here.  

I can live without the cinematic instrumentals that are really just atmospheric interludes that sound like they could have been lifted from a sci-fi soundtrack. Even with the jangling guitars the drummer digs in to make things rock a little more on "Lament For Wasps".  It is an effective dynamic perhaps not as punchy as where they used to go in the past, but it works for this song. "Villain" finds the Smiths side of the coin really shining more. Though I can just as easily hear Roxy Music influence. Not as catchy as some of the previous songs but it flows in a more Cocteau Twins manner that makes lots of sense. In the last minute and a half of the song it builds into perhaps not a heavier sound but more sonic one and the screamed vocals return but are further in the back ground.   

Things get more driving in a more metallic direction , with George's singing smoothing things out on "the Gnashing" which is an even more interesting song and perhaps the album's best. Hear the guitarists who have had impeccable tones here so far, really shine more playing wise as they kind of jam things out a bit. There is more atmosphere at the onset of  "Other Language" which is a more run of the mill shoe gaze affair. The he last song finds the band back to what you expected from them , but only in the last two and a half minutes of  this eight minute song. The first six minutes has a really pretty sailing feeling, that his newfound croon works well over. I was not afraid of singing showing up as ever since I first heard them and heard them mention the Smiths in an earlier interview I knew this day was coming, my concern was more can He sing? The is , he is no Morrissey in terms of belting it out , but does fine with what he has so I will round this album up to a 10. 

Quicksand : " Distant Populations"

Was not expecting a new one from these guys, but I will take it. They pretty much pick up where they left off though not as aggressive. They do try to hit you with grooves that are just as solid. I like the second song more than the opener as it gives the vocals more room. The same can also be said for "Colossus" . Their vocals are one of their strengths for they set the band apart from their peers. Walter has such a distinct voice that you always know who it is when he sets up to the mic. His voice has held up over the years. They approach groove differently on "Brushed" which feels more like something Janes Addiction would have done. It's odd but works. According to their Wiki, Capone is still absent from the band meaning they are doing all this as a 3 piece.  This could also be why songs like "Katakana' do not have the edge the band once did.

"Missile Command" is really well written, there is a reason it was one of the singles the band led with before the album's release. It is catchy enough but far from selling out.. "Phase 90" gives even more breathing room for the vocals to be more of a focal point. Later in the album "Rodan' reminds me how Walter's voice has always seemed soothing to me. Take into consideration that I have been listening to these guys since the 90s , so there is a sense of nostalgia to when they hit certain sweet spots, but as this song shows there is still room for new adjacent sounds to be included.  They hit a smooth yet more driven melody on "the Philosopher" that does not sound tied down to any musical era, which is more than you can say for the bulk of their peers.   

They return to the kind of sinewy palm muted grooves that once found them not far removed from the sonic zip code of "Undertow" era Tool on "EMDR".  This kind of grooving thankfully carries over into the last song as well, though the vocals help out a little more on "Rodan". I will go ahead and round this one up to a 10 because it has already grown on me and there is little in the way of filler, they might not have the urgency of youth in their veins , but they are far more consistent and inspired than the majority of bands from the 90s are today.  

Fawn Limbs : "Darwin Falls"

 This album starts off in a much more organic fashion than expected. They allow this false sense of security to prevail for over two minutes before beating you into spastic submission. Much more metal in their intentions than say Portrayal of Guilt, I do admire bringing some jazz into the equation which makes some of the mathematics make more since after they step on the distortion. It also makes the heaviness they hit you with easier to digest and reflects back on more musical moments. The vocals are more death metal where other influences are all over the place. Yeah there is grindcore mixed into this ,but the fact they care more about their songs, makes this seem not as dominant a force. There are dark sonic textures to their sound, but they are not as dark as many of their peers when it comes to this sort of thing. 

The second song works much like the first where we get this spoken word narrative though the music is darker and more western in feel. Then they get angrier with a staccato blast coupled with more of a yelled hard core vocal.  I like the mood they are creating , not sure if I will be a as much of a fan if this spoken word narrative is going to be a thread that runs through every song. The second song ends in a manner that sounds like a horror movie soundtrack. Then we are back to more of the spoken narrative after " Dead Horse Cavern" starts off with more of a spastic attack. Then they converge into sludge tinged torment. Not as compelling as the first two songs despite the formula varying some. Then the songs get shorter, and I begin to hear them start running into one another on "Noose Gestures' though the song does set it self apart by being both more chaotic and more atmospheric.

"Twitching lapsing"  comes the closet to being overt metal, but even then there is an eerie bleating of horns in the back ground that creates and unsettling dissonance going beyond the normal terrors summoned by metal.  There is more dark and murky atmosphere that lurks like a monster waiting in the shadows. Then the mood is broken by the narrative returning Regardless of the narration not being my thing I can still hear the bigger picture with this album and will give it a 9. Darkness makes up for a lot. 

Lantlos : Wildhund"

 No stranger to us here, this German band is no longer black gaze but now creating a double album of poppy gaze influenced 90s rock. The drummer who has now been with the band for ten years is responsible for some of the more adventurous turns the songs takes. In some ways it is progressive. Not far removed from the likes of Hum or Quicksand, they do not let you hang to comfortably on a groove for long. The guitars replicate tones from that era and the vocals are greatly improved. "Cocoon Treehouse " does not feel like it gets it's feet until midway into the song, but that is the problem when you have 26 songs , how can they be created equal. The math they are doing with these riffs can not be underestimated. You have to figure out if you are in the mood to get jerked around like this going into it. Sometimes it sounds like the Foo-fighter's trying to be Rush.  'Home" does lock into more of a drone, after the drums calm down a bit.  Then there are time when they are more like Helmet with songs like "Vertigo".

There are several moments that work off a more  syncopated jangle of guitar . Sometimes this creates a uniformity to the over all sound that makes me wonder why we are getting a double album of this. Sure bursts of harsher vocals crop up here and there.  Dreamier sequences also drip out of breakdowns, but this is not "Physical Graffiti".  But not every track is an actual song "Cloud Inhaler" is an example of such an ambient interlude. There is a pretty wide dynamic shift with "Planetarium" but it is not a song that uses melody to pull me in and make me want to listen to it more. "Dream Machine" is an homage to Hum that would be more impressive if we did not know these guys are already an established band who has a sound they are straying from.  They do a better job of this on "Dog in the Wild"  then with "Lich" they break new ground with the robo-prog.  

On the second album they get into some weird chill electro. It is very witch house in flavor but sailing on a more narcotic cloud . I am reluctant to really call these songs. Even the longer excursions into this work off of sounds more than being songs. Four tracks into an they are still just playing around with sounds. This is like the band is saying "Oh , yeah we are cool and know other kinds of music that is atmospheric aside from black metal" . I get it , but if I am going to listen to this kind of thing I am going to listen to Salem. So the first album is all that really matters here. This feels like they have a friend who makes music on Soundcloud and they were making fun of them, so the soundcloud dj said "Id what I am doing is so easy then why don't you do it" ... so they did and rubbed his face in it. The first album is all that matters here, so I will give it a 9.

Unreqvited : "Beautiful Ghosts"

This Canadian project is under the impression that metal bands do not talk about romantic love so this is the topic of the new album. I am not sure what rock they have been living under as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, King Diamond, Megadeth, Slayer and more all have songs about it. This black gaze act might not have the most knowledge of music but they do step away from being just Deafheaven clones and since Deafheaven is no longer going to sound like themselves their throne is ripe for the taking. The first song uses more complex patterns and symphonic synths to separate themselves from the pack which I can appreciate. I think the second song does more dynamically which I appreciate even more, 

They go little overboard with the 5 minute ambient interlude. By they this is the sole work of a dude who refers to himself as a symbol.  The symphonic synths  drown out the guitar going into "Funeral Pyre" , until it breaks down into more post rock guitar and piano. The harsh vocals are mixed way back behind the drums and a more of a texture. I doubt there are any actual lyrics. If you crank this album louder you can hear them better, but they are not a focal point of the songs.  "Cherish" is a piano interlude that would have been better served worked into an actual song.

The drums wrestle with all the synths and pianos on the title track while the vocals roar in the distance and the guitars buzz around idlily The production is this album's worst enemy. There are some decent idea's that are well played but in collision with one another.. When it comes to songwriting they are certainly trying as hard as they can with this given idea. All if found has a great guitar tone and some tasteful licks, which I think we could have heard more of if the synths had been dialed back in the mix. The vocals were no great loss. I will give this one an 8.5, so not in the album of the year category when it comes to black metal, but a worthwhile listen if you want some cinematic post-black metalish tunes. 

Runespell : "Verses in Regicide "

The projects 4th album,. Like many extreme metal band when you hear the first song it is often so impressive in terms of sonics and sheer intensity that you are going to give them a pass on really digging into their song writing due to the sound they hit you with, This was the case going into this album. With the second song I began to ask more questions. What are they doing differently from the hundreds of other bands who do this sort of thing ? Well not much if anything at all seems to be the answer I am getting after giving said song another listen. By the time we get to "Realm of Fire" we are beginning to hear how all the songs sound the same. On this one the tempo picks up and the guitar has more tension to it. Sure it rages harder , but this does not bring anything unique to the table. 

There is a folky instrumental interlude which is required of all one man black metal projects these days  and then the more mid paced stomp of "Tides of Slidhr", which I appreciate more that I took time to step away from the album as it was all sounding the same. It has more of an Immortal feel here, just less thrash influence , their riffs are not as big by far. When it comes to song writing , while it does gallop across Middle Earth in one flowing pace and is not the most adventurous in terms of composition, it is an effective sound that almost gets you lost in it and forget you have been listening to the same thing prancing around for four minutes until the guitar breaks down a bit. I used to deconstruct the song writing way more than I do now so if  In some ways the song flows in a manner similar to what Watain does . Watain is just much better at doing it . 

The same could almost be said for "Shadow's Dominion" who chug is all that keeps it from sounding like all the other songs before descending into atmospheric metal mush, which in some ways is what the project gets the most about black metal, there is more form and function here than early Darkthrone , but then there is the thing about Darkthrone , the fact it was earlier than this. We have been here and done all of this before. This sums up the album as a whole I will give this a 7.5, as good at what they do doesn't really cut it it, this project does rise above that bare minimum but I do not hear much in the way of what makes it an entity of it's own with a personality that creates it\s own sound. 

Iron BoneHead Productions · Runespell - Structures Of Collapse

the Lion's Daughter : " Skin Show"

 I am not sure what is going on here and I am not sure how this album passed me by when it came out back in April. There is angry sludge vocals and other metal aggression coming in a stomping over some retro synth wave. This works for me in many ways. 'Curtains" at first listen felt more rooted in the metal tropes ,but a second listen lets you hear some of the atmospheric layers. Perhaps the bellowing of the vocals do not lend for enough of a melodic touch despite the interesting layers of them shouting at you from different directions. There is more melody on "Neon Teeth" as he makes more of an attempt to  sing.  His voice is raspy and retains it's edge. It works for what they are trying to do here. 

There is an interesting juxtaposition of guitars on "Dead in Dreams" . It opens with a apocalyptic pounding that is more industrial before a thrashier riff kicks in. The bass line pounds along with the drums . The retro synths are still in place along with the bellow of the vocals. The drums get almost blasty in parts of  "Werewolf Hospital" which has a more feral attack to it. The thrashing guitar takes a more traditional metal approach, I do not find this song as interesting as the ones before it. The atmosphere and disco like beat to "Sex Trap" make it one of the more interesting songs thus far. Not sure the best as the vocals feel more obligatory. The hold more form and function with the snarl of "Snakeface".  They stay pretty straight forward on the pounding 'All Hell is Mine" until the synths come in. The vocals have begun to sound the same at this point, though it is still forgivable. 

The title track is more on the industrial side of what this project does, so layers with the organic synth wave sounds. Those same sounds play a much bigger role in the last song until the thrash riff come as the song progresses and takes over. Some of the shouted vocals have a more industrial feel to them as well. I will give this album a 9.  I like where they are going with this, in some ways the sound is just as important as the songs if not more, but they still are able to keep your attention.   

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Burn In Hell : "DISAVOWAL OF THE CREATOR GOD"

Yes another heavy as fuck band to give Ruin and LLNN a run for their money. These guys have more in common with the latter. Austrailia is not the first place I think of when it comes to heavy music. But the hard core crunch of these guys which is thrown again a crusty storm of death metal is pretty convincing. Only one song breaks the three minute mark and it only does so by five seconds. The second song delivers a brutal beating to your ears but at first it feels like a continuation of the first song so dynamics and the finer points of songwriting could be lost do to the focus on brutality which is where they differ than the first two bands I mentioned who are also excellent songwriters even as heavy as they are. 

Yes "Bleach" has one of the heaviest break downs  you will hear all year, but the rule at this site is "cool riffs alone does not a good song make". The minute and a half of noise against samples that is called "Prey" does not do anything to support their case. In more of a grind core fashion they blast back for the minute long temper tantrum called "Deadkkkop". Clever song title but appropriating the problems of the American political machine makes them come across like poseurs. "Disavowal' is the longest song I mentioned earlier. Their is a more deliberate change of tempo and a little more room to breathe, which helps create dynamics that are desperately needed at this point. The growl of the vocals begins to get a little old by the point as well.   

There is more of a sense of sonics to "Armageddon" which is what this album needed more of all along as it might be the best song on the album as it is also the most musical even if it is more hammering than the previous song. I will round this down to an 8, as the hype exceeded what they delivered as whole, which is not to say they do not have potential and there were 3 songs that were worth hearing again, though they could stand to expand on some of the sonic touches they brought to life on the last song. If you care more about being brutal than songwriting them you are going to like this more than I did. 

 

Underdark: " Our Bodies Burned Bright On Re​-​Entry"

 This British band is primarily black metal, but in the most hipster sense that is why is comes across at times as being a little screamo. Be that as it may this also allows them to use other chord voicings rather than the tried and true tremolo picked fare we normally get from black metal. Also the lower growls are pretty cool as well. The more spoken second in the melodic break down of the title track has more of the emo part of the equation in play. I am not against this as it does add another color to the more post rock section of atmosphere. When it takes off into blasty chaos we have been given something to contrast it with. This supports my frequent rule that if you play loud all the time it is never loud as you have no quiet to show you what loud should look like.   

"Coyotes" starts off very sedate in terms of the delicate guitar that serves as the calm before the storm. These guys have already shown me the potential they have so when they go into the more straight forward black metal sections it feels a little like a cop out. Though this song did click more for me on the second listen. However at this point in the album it is beginning to feel like the vocals are an after thought rather than contributing a great deal to the song. Another factor here is how they are hitting all the same expected beats for what "black-gaze' is supposed to be with out re-shaping it into who they are. They did show us more of this in the first two songs, but what separates a great band from and ok one is the consistency to do this with every song. 

"With Ashen Hands Around Our Throats" they buzz to life as if they are from further north than England. Sure this kind of rabid intensity is to some extent what the genre is about , but we have heard it done in the same manner ten times over at least, making me ask once again to hear more of who they are and hear their vision of this. When the more deliberate punches come toward the second half of the song and things slow down it is really welcome, but I would like to hear this integrated in a less formulaic way. I like these emo  parts but would like to hear them worked in with a less predictable grace. It doesn't suck, but at this point this sort of thing has been done enough to where no sucking is not enough and something new needs to be brought to the table. I was midway into "Skeleton Queen " before I realized it had gone onto a new song, so they begin to lapse into a uniformity when it comes to their heavier sound. Then just when you think they are  going to get emo on you they do. I like the spoken part about drugs, perhaps if some of the other lyrics stood out it would be more meaningful. I will round this down to an 8.5, which puts them ahead of all the other bands trying to do this sort of thing at least until that new Deafheaven comes out. They are good at what they are doing, I think they are talented enough to bring something new to the table next time. For my listening time, I already have this done better in some ways so not sure if the emo twist makes enough of a difference for me to want to play this on a more regular basis.  

Our Bodies Burned Bright On Re-Entry by Underdark

Cactus Black : "the Marrow of Our Truth"

This is a nice bit of folk tinged rock. Moody on the first song , sung in a mid tenor range. It is not until the second song that more of an aggressive mood creep from the edges of the vocals as the guitars brood like a storm. When the song builds up there is a collision of everything from punk to country going on. There is a restrained tension, where they are rowdy but not letting it all out like if this was metal where they just attack. There are some hints of heavy dynamics in how things develop, which works for these guys. I am fine with them doing their own  thing as it works really well in the first two songs. "Poor as Dirt" finds the at first relaxing back into more of a western place until the pace picks up. The vocals develop a throatier bellow. They prove they can be explosive as needed with some of the outburst used to convey the violence in the bank robbing lyrics. 

It is interesting how these guys fall somewhere between the Menzingers and Murder By Death. Vocally he is capable of dropping into a more melodic singing voice on some of the more folk like introspections on "After the Hold Up". Yes this is a concept album about bank robbers. I am not sure that makes these guys outlaw country as the country part is not as thick as most bands that dabble in that. I guess somewhat unironically things get heavier going into "Carry That Weight", though these guys are more punk in their intentions than metal. The vocals are a more aggressive shout on this. 

The dark groove on "Jesus of Ohio" really rules, it is the album's best song so far. Though I have yet to come across a song I dislike. They get back to a more staccato folk tune with a bit of rambling country attitude to it on "State Man". There is even more swagger summoned up with the brass added to the boozy folk of "Whiskey With a Ghost".  The lazy strum continues as the story begins to wind down on "7 Years on Death Row "  This is not the first time the vocals have taken on an emo like pleading quality but it is noticeable enough here for me to point it out again. I am fine with this. The last song builds off that same emo folk thing and works in a summary of what they are about as a band in  the way the dynamics climax back up into a rock feel. I will give this album a 10 , it is one of the best new dynamic rock releases I have heard in a minute.

8

Book of Wyrms : "Occult New Age"

The kind of retro tinged stoner proto metal that rose to a new level of popularity just over a decade ago is back with this band from Virginia. The Lindseys are a husband and wife team, with Sarah singing and Jay playing bass. The guitars are pretty dominate in the mix of these very jammy tunes. They move at the pace of Ted Nugent with more boogie than doom lumbering, though the Sabbath influence can be felt, however at no point in time do they feel like a tribute band which is one thing I like about them. They do get into a more doom like heaviness going into "Hollergoblin". This shifts into a more drugged out groove. I like that they are quick to think out of the stoner metal box. The vocal melody which comes in four minutes into this 8 minute song glides over the song well. 

With each song it seems like they are progressively getting darker. By the time we are at "Keinhora"they have turned in more of a doom direction. The gloomy vocals are able to have plenty of room to properly haunt the song. "Speedball Sorcerer" finds them inhaling from the bong and going into the kinda of metallic shuffle that colors more mainstream stoner rock. It is colored with flourishes of synths and guitar licks to keep it from being too much of a booted fairy spectacle. They continue to party down the a similar path just with a different groove on " Weather Worker" . The drum fills in a couple spots remind me of "the Wizard" by Sabbath, but as a whole this is jammed out enough they it is a part of their own sound. 

For the last song "Dracula Practice' things get a little darker,  you almost have to if you are writing a song about Dracula. he melodic section four and a half minutes in where the guitar solos simmers from is really cool and all the groove that surround it. This might be the album's best song.   I will give this album a 9 it is really solid and well down,  sounds great has a warm organic sound without coming across like they are trying to hard to capture a bygone era.  Everything flows really well and I bet these guys are a blast to see live if that ever happens again. 

 

.4

Green Lung : "Black Harvest"

 

The first track finds the British band in a more Rush like prog place than anywhere near doom, it's mainly an intro as the real first song is "Old Gods Final". It still has a Deep Purple like prog feel, some of this in part to the vocals which has a dramatic sneer not unlike Ian Gillian's mid range. "Leaders of the Blind" is a little too happy for me in the way it picks up the pace. the vocals are not as memorable as they were in the first song though in places the guitars get a little more aggressive. The guitar solo had more flash than expected and will also appeal to the metal minded. There is more of a stompy stoner metal feel to "Reapers Scythe". The vocals seem to be trying to find their place amid all that is going on musical between the key boards and the guitar. He does sing up into his upper register on this one, which is cool to hear that he is at least willing to give it a shot.

I appreciate the more melodic shift on "Graveyard Sun" , but the vocals are not very hooky. The chorus works but not something that is going to get stuck in my head any time soon. Not a dark song, but moodier than the previous songs. If you were unsure about flashy guitar work being their thing , they are going to remind you with "Black Harvest".  I am only marginally impressed by that sort of thing but not going to tell you he is not a great guitar player either. The fact the guitar is not Sabbath dark makes me think more of Blue Oyster Cult. It is also why this doesn't strike me as all that heavy. Even with the Hammer Horror Satanic lyrics. When they take a right turn and make less of an attempt to be metal or spooky it works better as it is becoming something that is not who they are , which is what makes "You Bear the Mark: work for them. Despite the fact they are still trying to hard with the lyrics and throw what might be metal riff in if they were executed with more aggression. Some times the guitar reminds me more of Queen.  

They to crunch you back to the old days with the more metal minded riff to "Doomsayer". Is it the album's best song ? No, but it is big dumb fun and catchier than many of the songs. The last song "Born to a Dying World" flirts with gospel like organ sounds.  Not that this is not something that bands like Deep Purple who were also very soulful have already done. It is the more rock punches to this song that make it work best thought blues  direction of the guitar is pretty great. I will give this one an 8.5. It is a excellent album, but I prefer what they did on the one before the more, it was a little darker. This album drops October 22nd on Svart Records. 

 

Year of No Light : " Consolamentum"

 This French sludge project delves deeply into post rock. I am unsure how many members are in the band as I have seen pictures with as many as 9 , but they seem to tour with six. The opening track is big and cinematic and for a 12 minute instrumental they kept my attention so they must be doing something right. It can not all just be capturing a sound , there has to be a sense of composition if not song writing in play. The second song , is not as heavy but more post rock in the sweepingly grandiose soundtrack feel . This one is seven a half minutes, the two drummers are earning their pay with this one.  Sonically the scope of what they do here and the scale of dynamics employed could easily appeal to fans of more progressive appeal and I feel like post- rock has always had one foot in prog while pretending to not be as pretentious. I like how they pound the point home and bring the heavy back in the last two minutes of the song. 

The third song is darker in tone and more doom like in the deliberate manner it trudges to life. Five and a half minutes into things the riff shifts into something more doom like. The laying of sound they have crafted does make a good argument for the small orchestra of a band assembled to create this. The song slowly builds speed until they are hitting you with a much more punishing pounding of sound.  They make the 11 minutes pass by pretty easily so they must be doing something right. At almost thirteen minutes the fourth song is just a little longer than the opening track , though it is more atmospheric and tender in it's intentions. This is the first song that sheds all metallic aspirations and soars into a place more focused on the post rock dynamic. A few minutes into this one the mood changes and a more foreboding aggression clenches it's teeth in the manner of attack. In many ways these guys are not far removed from the kind of sonic ground covered by Russian Circles , though the bass lines are not the primary back bone .

Where guitar drove the point home earlier the synths that jockey for equal footing in the mix here, bring a retro sci-fi soundtrack here. More Kraut rock in the droning throb that they build around. By sci-fi this is big budget art house not campy 60s sci fi.  The first six minutes work of  the spacey narcotic drone I mentioned earlier. The fact that it can hold my attention as an instrumental says something. In fact it is a pretty solid testament to this entire album since instrumental music is not normally what I listen to and tends to fall along the lines of what I appreciate, to to win me over this album gets a 9.