Russian Circles : "Nine"

 As a singer, it's hard to sell me on instrumental bands, but there are a few exceptions, this band being one. Melodic guitar playing and a bit of a metallic drive make them more memorable. I think Pelican was the first band I was introduced to doing this sort of thing, though I was already a fan of Mogwai; those guys were more atmospheric drug music. Russian Circles blends both worlds. Some albums have been heavier than others; some found them almost wanting to lean in a black metal direction, when if they had a burly lumberjack barking in the background, they would be a sludge band. The hammering of the second song, "Empath," lends weight to this theory. The dense guitar sound creates a sonic wall that closes in on you.

At eight and a half minutes, 'Eluvial' leans more toward their atmospheric side, which is more typical of the post-rock genre. But it is kept balanced here and still makes for an effective listen that hooks you in without the benefit of vocal hooks. There is a similar vibe later on with "Meridian," though that one is a little more brooding and melancholic. 'E2" has some cool electronic sounds in its pulse, which finds the band mixing it enough to keep you interested. The only time they drone is on "Meridian" 

The last song ends with more of a heavy crunch; the only issue with this is that when I just left it playing, the stream started back on the first song, and I could not tell that it had changed songs which for me as a red flag that the songs sound the same; granted, when it comes to instrumental music, this is one of the more common problems, there were only a couple moments where I felt like they were doing something new, but when they do what they do they do it well, so fans might just have asound they want more than soungs, They are skilled at this and made the album they sought to make so I will give it a 9.5. Not sure how many times I will revisit this album, but post-rock fans should make it required listening.Drops August 28th on Sargent House. 

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Rezn- " Cycles in the Infinite Dream"

 

They are dialing more into the progressive side of what they do here, with the guitars taking on more of a riffy feel. The vocals are coming forward in the mix and not just being atmospheric elements that coast in the dream-like haze as things get more defined n the opening track. With this comes some heavier chug that holds more weight than what we are used to hearing from these guys. The sax returns to drive the prog point home, even in the face of harder-rocking riffs surfacing. Even though they have gone further into prog, only the last song goes over the five-and-a-half-minute mark. 

"Cloudfall" kicks the door in to tell you they are not fucking around with any shoegazing and came to rock. The chords that ring out here remind me of solo Ozzy.. They lean back into something more akin to what they once did on "Aerial Birth," while it's consistent with what they used to do, it dials the dynamics down to a much lower-energy place than where they have taken you for the bulk of the album so far. After a brief instrumental interlude, they come back heavier for " The Vessel. "The main verse riff is pretty hooky and reminds me a little of Matodon. The strummed guitar feels more Smashing Pumpkins in this contet.

Some of the album's most interesting guitar work goes down on "Escher". Here, they prove that bringing the vocals to the forefront can be an asset for them. "Primal Thread' falls along the line of your average atmospheric rock in 2026. The last song drifts more toward their more familiar shoegazing sound; it does not grip me like some of the other songs do. As a whole, I would say while this album rocks harder, it is not as dark and holds less drugged-out melancholy than their previous work , but the songwriting has been sharpened to a more accessible point, which often works in their favor. I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me.Out on Sargent House. 

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REZN : "Burden"

The new album from Chicago's Sonic Sorcerors finds them expanding their minds and sound though buckling in giving the opening track a dark grooving drive that might not be metal, but it is aggressive enough to get the point across. They continue exploring new ambiance realms as the bass line guides you into "Instinct". The plea of the vocals echoes out into the expansive place they have created here. It feels darker than the previous album, but darker in a more hazy moonlit manner. The tenor vocals cry out with more support from the diaphragm this time around, though not quite belted. The mood is more eerie than ghostly or spooky. I would not be surprised if the band was major heshers either. 

The guitar melody of "Bleak Patterns" is catchy and different for the band, but the song feels like it washed up in the wake of "Instinct". The bass line is not as meaty until a minute and a half into the song. The songs soar in from a cloud front that has a high-pressure front behind it, though never condenses into a storm. In some ways, this album is not unlike the new Pallbearer. The two bands hold much more common ground now. This song gets heavier as it drifts upshore. It might even be more sonically dense than the new Pallbearer. "Collapse" might be the album's best song, as it has an exotic guitar melody that floats through the song as a counterpoint to the vocals. 

The album begins to darken as it progresses like the dusk falls over it going into "Collapse" and the sun finally sets upon "Soft Prey". The vocals float around the songs with more assurance this time around. This first sounds to make me think of psychedelics creeping in two minutes into this song. The saxophone lends further merit to this as it creates an almost Pink Floyd-like dynamic. "Chasm" closes the album with the first metallic chugs that remind you these guys used to be a doom band. It is what the kids today call a banger for sure. I will give this album a 10, these guys will be hard to beat when it comes to making melancholy stoner rock that is heavy on the atmosphere. It drops June 14th on Sargent House. 

 

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Mutoid Man : "Mutants"

 Cave-In vocalist/guitarist Stephen Brodsky, is releasing the 3rd full-length from his sludge-tinged rock band. Joining him again is Converge drummer Ben Koller, who has been on board since the project's inception. This time around High On Fire bassist Jeff Matz is in the band. There is a rock feel thanks to Brodsky's smooth vocal delivery, but ample bout of math rock in collision with punk energy. The second song employs much more speed than the opener, though both songs have their share of twists and turns. There is a doomier feel to "Broken Glass Ceiling".  They share some common ground sonically with Queens of the Stoneage in this regard. The chorus is not that hooky, though the verses have a pretty cool riff. The rule around here is cool riffs alone do not a good song make. The end of this song builds into harder snarled vocals. 

There is more of a stoner rock feel to "Siren Song".  This song might have some of the album's best melodies, though we are only four songs into the album at this point. There is a classic metal feel in how the vocals ride the guitars, without being overtly dramatic. "Graveyard Love" is more rock in its Van Halen-like boogie. "Unborn" opens with a pretty sweet grooving riff and interesting sounds, but as the song progresses these get coiled around themselves amid the jammy nature of the song. Perhaps the math just gets too complicated for their own good, as it's more effective when things break down to a tense chug. 

"Siphon" has a pretty mean chug, that was working well enough for it, until they decided to go and complicate things. It is not a deal breaker, but this could have been a headbanger all the way through. Instead, it feels more like Mastodon without the guitar solos. "Demons" rocks out like Kyuss at first before they have a spastic burst of arrangements. On one hand, they are cramming more into the three minutes they are compressing these songs into. Then on the other, the question must be asked ...does it need to be crammed in there? More importantly, does it mean they are not playing "Stonehenge" tonight? 

The answer I have come to is not get my hopes up at the onset of "Memory Hole" as they are going to eventually jerk it around into something crazy.  I begin to relax midway in when this has yet to occur. They do go off into a guitar solo, which is fine, I prefer it to take this to a crazy punk place. I think whatever conclusions you draw about their songwriting , no one is going to dispute if Ben Koller can play drums or not, in fact he establishes himself as one of the best here. The last  song "Setting Son" is almost six minutes long, so I am preparing myself for whatever they are going to throw at me, even after the two minute jammed intro. They chorus is not the album's hookiest , but works for what they are doing. They fall somewhere between 80s-themed stoner metal and prog on this one. Baroness would be a fair point of reference for the Sonic zip code they are cruising down. I will give this album a 9 and see how it grows on me. I like the direction they are heading in here and it's their most promising work to date. 

Mrs. Piss : "Self-Surgery"

My first impression of the debut album from this side project of Chelsea Wolfe kicks in my first though is this is  experimental garage punk. She is joined by her drummer Jess. Before the album kicks in there is an intro piece that was basically chanting about bathing in the filth of the world. The first actual song reminds me of Sonic Youth. "Knelt" that follows is the first single from this album . It was droning and hypnotic kind of sludgey shoe gaze. It sounds more like what Wolfe normally does . Her vocals are still ghostly ,m but more like "Hiss Spun". There is more of a driving retro synth pulse flowing underneath "Nobody Wants to Party With Us". I would say this song falls under post punk, it is pretty dynamic and shifts stylistically. So far it's my favorite song.

Yes there is a riot girl attitude and a bit of grunge/ noise rock from that era haunting "Mega Babes of the Wild Order". A PJ Harvey recklessness empowers this song. I was not sure how I would like this album, as feminist rock is not my thing if the message is being shoved in your face. Her the joke is on the listner most of the time. There is more of a feral metal tone to "You Took Everything" that still has a slinky drugged out grunge feel before the chorus kicks in with the screams in the distance. This is even more of a metallic glimmer than what we have heard from her more rumbuncous touches on other albums. This is not a metal album , but I think it is burly enough to make most metal heads happy if they are no hung up on Morbid Angel. It is heavy in a sonically intense manner. There are moments where they hammer at you in a more overt fashion. 

There is a more punk feel to the eponymous closing track on this album. There are some interesting production choices with the effects on  Chelsea's voice that were a good idea. The vocals and the over all sound has a more "In Utero" rawness so it. I think I like this album more than Chelsea Wolfe's last one. This could have very easilly been a Chelsea Wolfe album, it is not like Burzum where Varg is just playing Pan Flutes and it feels like false adevertising. She could call this a Chelsea Wolfe album and I would be fine with that as it is still true to who she is. I will give this one a 10. This album dropped on Sargent House.

Chelsea Wolfe: "The Birth of Violence"

I did not check out any of the singles leading up to this album so going into it totally fresh. Of course I am pleased that the opening track reminds me more of "Mistake In Parting" . Mainly due to the fact she is singing out and not in the more breathy spectral tone she can employ. It is not as rock n roll or grungy as "Mistake in Parting" The album  is stripped down but at times still atmosphere. It is not a rehash of "Unknown Rooms" despite being acoustic at it's core. "American Violence" dials up the atmosphere by another degree. She also begins to use her softer higher register. There is a more PJ Harvey like mood to the title track. Her lyrics are more introspective. She sings in a lower register here with ambiance lurking in the background.

There is a darker brooding to "Deranged For Rock n Roll" . Her voice has a dreamy shimmer to it on this one. It is funny because my iTunes keeps shuffling over to either "Unknown Rooms" or  "Mistake In Parting" in-between songs. This is allowing me to see how much it does not have in common with those songs. "Be All Things" sounds like it could have been one of the mellower moments on "Abyss" . There is a slight hint of country here, putting in the same zip code as Marissa Nadler sonically. Ambiance begins to play a larger role in "Erde" . This one is more dream folky. More intangible when it comes to traditional song writing. A darker more serpentine elements slithers out over the songs' climax. "When Anger Turns to Honey" is minimal, but with interesting vocal layering and production. \ "Dirt Universe" but is has a more solid arrangement that builds in instrumentation as it progresses. There is a more familiar melancholy to the mood of this song.

"Little Grave" is such a fragile folk song it took multiple listens. Somewhat similar to things we have heard from her before.  With it's cooed refrain of "Hell is on earth" , "Preface to a Dream Play" catches my ear due to much like a great deal of this album the subtle oddities involved. The production choices and how things sit in the mix is to the left of what we have heard from her in the past. Not dramatically, but on "Highway" which is pretty straight forward, it's things like the vocal layering that stand out. I'll give this a 10, she once again made an album that show similar shade of what she does but from a new angle.

Russian Circles : "Blood Year"

These guys are one of the handful of instrumental bands that can keep my attention. The first little ditty sounds more like an intro than a song, so I am saying that "Arluck " is the first actual song, for the purpose of this review. It takes all the things they do well and encapsulates them. The most impressive of these things is the mighty chug they lock into. On the last album they were darker and bringing more black metal influences in. This time around most of that is gone and it feel more honestly them.  I like this album's sweeping sonic scope, the only problem is the 3rd and 4th song sound like movements of a larger piece and I listened to this album twice through until I figured out where one song began and the other ended so they sound very similar.

 There might be more ebb and flow to "Milano". This the exception to the rule when I said most of the black metal elements where gone, some still lingering."Kohokia' is a like a bass heavy version of the previous song. The more I listen to it the more the songs run together. "Ghost on High" is just an intro for "Sinaia", which is  first song that really starts off with a different tone to shift the dynamics and stand apart as a entity unto itself.  There is a show gaze meets post rock vibe with a heavy sonic pump to it."Quartered" closes the album. It displays a majority for their strengths from the big powerful chug, to a great drum sound. The only problem being that I feel like this is being recycled. The only new element to it is the more atmospheric guitar that is layered over it.

They do recycle a great deal of sounds and idea's from past albums. It is a balance of if it is not broke don't fix it and progressing.  I don't hear much in terms of progress, but it sounds more like they have refined their sound down to what has worked for them in the past. This might come across as lazy to some, but if you are really into these guys then I think you will dig them getting back to basics ans stripping away some of the other hats they have tried on in the past. I will give this one an 8.5.

Helms Alee : "Noctiluca"

These guys have a muscular sound that is not metal but a form of grungy noise rock with more in common with the Melvins, than any metal or even post rock band. The vocals benefit from better production than I recall hearing on their previous albums. While botht the male and female vocals can trade off with similar aggression , she is the better singer of the two . On "Play Dead" we get a taste of the hooks her voice is capable of conveying. The bass and drums lock in to create so maple grooves. There is angular atmosphere to "Be Rad Tomorrow" .  This is the first time you here some of the post rock that once colored the more muscular sludge leanings.

There hints of a Neurosis style vibe on "Lay Waste Child " . I do like that it leans in a darker direction. While it's more melodic things begin to get weird once the album gets to "Legal Guardian".  Songs like "Spider Jar' might start off with more of a grunge things going going on, but that is not where they end . Instead veering off into a weirder direction. "Pleasure Torture" has an interesting blend of sounds. The harmonies of the female voices is pretty alluring before the dynamics shift. They do have heavy moments that are heavy sonically rather than heavy metal as there is very little that comes from that kind of overtly aggressive energy. The male vocals do convey a more burly energy that comes closer to that.

They dip into a more psychedelic sound with relaxed vocals for "Pandemic".  The album might end with the best song "Word Problems". It takes a dark moody tone and marries to powerful Zeppelin throb that groove / The use of female vocals on the verse and male vocals on a more commanding chorus works well, The vocals carry an intensity almost like Ministry , though musically these guys are far more organic. I will round this one up to a 9.5, as usual Sargent House once again delivers something interesting.

Brutus : "Nest"

This Belgian band is getting a fair amount of buzz in regards to the release of their sophomore album. Is it hype? ...This is a question any discerning music fan might ask. It is impressive that as a trio they are kicking up this amount of noise and their singer Stefanie is also playing the drums. She has a pretty good voice that at times makes me imagine that this is how Bjork might sound if she decided to play punk. I guess this is post-punk, but not in the sense that they want to be Siouxsie and the Banshees.It's more like dashes of post-rock atmosphere are thrown against taunt punk temper tantrums. The only draw back is that while they are really good at what they do it tends to vary in speed and intensity, yet is created using similar colors.

They can pack more of a pounding sound on songs like "Cemetery" . It would be interesting to see live how here voice holds up when she is locked in on the drums. The guitars are more sonic than punk, not unlike A Place to Bury Strangers in this regard. They have a great bass tone.  The drumming is the weakest link as it is very basic.They make it work, but if we are being truthful that is what's going on. I know it's saying the emperor wears no clothes to give any thing less than a glowing review of anything like is spreading diversity , like a woman behind the drum kit.She is by no means a terrible drummer. She serves the song rather than bringing a thundering intensity. All the songs are fairly concise.I like how the vocals  sit atop the tense guitar riffs of "Carry".

I would say this is not hard core as it's not angry enough. The punk can be felt in the reckless energy in which they throw themselves into the songs. "War" finds the guitar more melodically. When she goes into a more focused singing voice, there are echoes of many female 90s alternative singers. I think if she focused on singing and they got a more dynamic drummer this band would totally kill it. As it is they do a pretty decent job though at times fall into the most obvious places punk would land. "Blind" finds the formula perhaps not as fresh as it was earlier in the album. "Distance" works off atmosphere and intensity in equal parts. Keeping this kind of a balance is essential to create anything with dynamics.

They are not devoid of all mainstream sensibility. Though song like "Space"never really locks into anything with hooks, until perhaps the more indie rock like riff at the end. They are capable of some pretty intense sonic swells . There is more of a metallic attack to "Horde V" before it breaks down into the verse. Her vocals return to a more Bjork like cadence. At under 8 minutes "Sugar Dragon" is the longest song on the album. I had to listen to a couple of times for it to begin to click. It is similar to Russian Circles slower moments, but with less intricate drumming. So I suppose  with that as an example Explosionsinthesky might be a closer zip code. The vocals are given a great deal of room and there is a loud to soft dynamic with the entire feel of the song. I will give this album a 9. It's good while not the most original sound in the world , it does have enough of their own spin on it to  feel like it is not as derived from the 90s as it is. I will see how it grows on me , but it is easy to listen to on repeat so that says something.this is being released on Sargent House
 

Gothtober - Miserable :"Loverboy"

King Woman front woman Kristina Esfandian just released this album with her other band. It's suitable gloomy and brooding. It almost shoe gaze, and like a resentful take on Mazzy Star. The second song is more up beat and sounds like 90s indie rock. Sebadoh comes to mind here along with some of the bands that were somewhat shoe gaze some what sultry alt-pop like Lush. By the third song "Cheap Ring" it gets a little droning, though this song does build up by the end. Kristina's vocal seem to expand in her upper range as opposed to her more bluesy groans and moans she utters with King Woman. Some of her anger in these songs is also expressed in a manner that is not unlike Courtney Love's earlier less radio friendly work.

"Pain Farm" has a dissonance to it's jangling strum. The vocals to this one kind of hover around the sonic clutter of the guitar that doesn't contract into something more riffy until the end of the song. This is becoming the formula at work here. Wander in the dizzying drone of more murky chord progressions then bring into something with  more form and function at the end. Things are still in the zip code of shoe gaze with "Hotel" the vocals have a more delicate touch to their croon despite the more challenging guitar parts under them.  "Daydream Nation" era Sonic Youth might be a fair comparison. It does still remain dark enough to qualify for Gothtober as I could easily imagine something like this coming out on 4AD. There is a more obvious shoe-gaze quality to "Fever" which if not for her more alto centered tone, might draw comparisons to Cocteau Twins with the guitar parts.

The pace picks up a little for "High". There is a more punk minded recklessness in play, but the thick atmosphere cancels it out. "Kiss" has a weird 80s post-punk ballad feel, more along the lines of Jesus and the Mary Chain. Which is 80s hipster goth, as those kids were out smoking cloves with the dudes with black lipstick and Flock of Seagulls haircuts , so just because there are no bats in the belfry doesn't mean it won't sit nicely between the Cure and  Cocteau Twins when you have your iPod on shuffle mode. I will give this album an 8.5 and see how it sits with me .

Emma Ruth Rundle : "On Dark Horses"

I try not review albums on days I am really suicidal. Normally when I am in that state I have lost interest in all things...even music. This time I was more anchored by certain things, but when I tried to listen to this album it did not grab me like " Marked For Death". It's not as dark and it's more of a straight up rock album. There are some surreal parts even in the trippy section of the opener. At times it makes me think of Jimi Hendrix playing country music. In other words Dave Navarro. There is a lose jazzy jam quality. The vocals to "Control" are a little moodier. I am open to her expanding her sound as I certainly didn't want her just to re-hash "Marked For Death". The dreamy swirl is still a thing even when she gets louder. So I like the second song better than the first which at least means this album is heading in the right direction.

That western undertone I detected is brought to the spot light on the title track. This is closer to "Marked for Death" so of course I like that though it's her ripping off herself. There is some roughly mixed over driven grunge flavored guitar on this one. Id we are using the totality of Nirvana to define grunge then this album is more grunge than indie rock so far. The moody western thing continues , but with a more introspective mood for "Races". I am glad I went back a re-visited this album in a saner state of mind. The drums give a little more pound to the dreamy desert that is "Dead Set Eyes". The vocals coast over the guitar really well. .The guitar solos on this album are really well done , they are more of texture thing more than any shredding.

It's cool to hear the male vocals layered around her's on " Light Song" , it has a more ominous feel to it. There are more sonic colors on this album than "Marked For Death". It's really well produced and they obtained some incredible guitar tones. "Apathy on the Indiana Border" also recalls some of the more longing moods she captured on "Marked For Death". Though they are slightly co-dependent I do like the lyrics to this song. There is a sleepy quality to "You Don't Have to Cry". The guitar is wandering in one direction and her vocals are going in the other. When it gets to the chorus it has more of a country feel. I'll go ahead and round this album up to a 10 and see how it grows on me.

Chelsea Wolfe : "Hiss Spun"

If "Abyss" wasn't heavy enough for you then that is remedied when the opener to her new album "Hiss Spun" kicks in. The guitar is more overtly metal where, on her last album the fuzzed out bass delivered most of the pounding. Her voice is mixed against the guitar a little more.Tempo wise it is very much in a doom/sludge direction. The thicker guitar tone and more rock oriented hangs around for "16 Psyche" which finds the guitars kicking the door down when it builds. This allows room for her to sing when it comes back around to the verses. The beat to "Vex" is pretty awesome as she coos over it in a more ghostly manner. Production wise her vocals are not as up front as the last album and have returned to they shadowy re-verb sounds of her earlier work. Even this song has a lot of drive to it.Growled vocals come into the background towards the end of the song.

"Strain" is an atmospheric interlude that sounds like it should be playing on an episode of Twin Peaks. "the Culling" is more fragile in the creep of it's breathy melody. The bass becomes over driven to build the tension. The release comes with a metallic sounding that succeeds at being just as heavy sonically as it is heavy as in metal, though maybe leaning more toward the sonic side. While four songs in it seems she can do no wrong, this return to her old sound vocally is just what my ex-wife would not like, so it's ironically fitting that with her out of the way things have returned to normal. The bass line drives " Particle Flux" which for the first two minutes has minimal percussion. This is remedied and it kicks in like a rock song. This is the first song where it feels like it is going to need to grow on me. "Twin Fawn" almost breaks your fucking neck when it jerks you out of a haunting lullaby into it's aggressive accents.

There is an almost industrial beat to "Offering". It's militant against dreamy Cure like guitar. So her goth fan base has something to sink their fangs into on this one. Though over all this is dark , but in a different way from her other albums. This might be my favorite song on the album so far though it doesn't have any of the heavy metal balls the other songs possess. "Static Hum" starts off dark and ominous with a floor tom tribal beat. Her voice comes more forward in the mix on the verse. The drone of this song  found me spacing out on it as I worked on writing other than this review, so I had to go back and listen to it again. One the second listen I heard other bits of ambiance in the corners of the song. It does kick into a more pounding dynamic which is the formula for this album. It works so I am not complaining. "Welt" is also more like an interlude with it's rainy piano refrain and chanted vocal.

She returns to the kind of spacey folk she built her career on at first with "Two Spirit". She has become a much better guitar player over the years and this songs has a more intricate chord progression than when she did this sort of thing in the past. The song does build , but it's the darker mood that is the heaviness. Her lyrics stand out here, which aside from "Offering" is the first song where I have been able to make note of them. "Scrape" is darker and noisy, it creates an almost suffocating mood. She sings in her upper register to provide more of a contrast. This album gets a 10. This means it's going to grow on me rather than click with me, though I slept in an hour and a half more than intended today, so I can't tell if it's Chelsea who is detached or me. But fans have nothing to fear as this is even less of a commercial attempt than "Abyss" and finds her adding the heavy she explored on the last album and going a step further with it while returning to her older sound.

Boris : " Dear"

Boris have brought back the heavy. That is not to say it's not full of the experimental atmosphere they have been languishing in the past few years it's just a more balanced blend. The first three songs kind of run together until they pick up the pace on "Absolutego". It is very grunge like, thank to the drugged mumbled  grit of the vocals. When you go back and listen to these song again you might realize like I did that there is less substance to the second song which makes it almost more like an interlude. "Absolutego" however rocks in a way that makes up for the experimental years. It builds into a heft sludge chug. Songs four , five and six also lull you into a seamless blend in their dreamy haze. "Beyond" starts off with a coo of soft female vocals and builds into the male voices coming in as the distortion kicks in . This is done in a manner that reminds me of some of Jesu's best moments.

"Kagero" just kind of drones with falsetto vocals haunting the song, it doesn't really go any where. There is more of a shoe gazey feeling to "Biotope". But the song never really pays off in the end and is more of a tease as it could have soared , but in said lingered and procrastinated. Then there is another tease this time they make you think they might get heavy again on "the Power" which is more of an interlude than a song. The next real song is "Momento Mori" which finds the band taking a page from Sigur Rios play book. They do a good job of it even though the vocals are not as impressive. The vocals return to the more fey like breathy style of singing often used in shoe gaze.

Then comes the almost fourteen minutes of "Dystopia". This one could have had the first two minutes shaved off without compromising the song. It sounds like if Smashing Pumpkins decided to become a post-rock band. When we get to seven and a half minute mark a guitar solo kicks in. I don't think I have ever been so glad to hear a guitar solo in my life as it means this song is actually picking up and going somewhere. The title track cranks up to end the album with a lot of fuzz and feedback. If yells and abstract sounds create the sound of hell then it has a very sparse soundtrack. This goes on for four and a half minutes until it begins to seemingly gather steam. The drums linger to keep the slow drone going. I find it really hard to consider the noise that ensues a song. While they show potential and bring back some heavier sounds I would not say this is the band's best work . If you really like drone then you might round it up a bit from the 7 I am giving this album. I think they have potential and would just like to hear it invested in songwriting. I know a band making albums with song's is a vulgar concept but oh well.

Emma Ruth Rundle : "Marked For Death"

In some ways there is not much difference between Emma Ruth Rundle's  second solo album and the last Marriages album, which is a good thing. If you were expecting just her and an acoustic guitar then think again. Perhaps the punches are not as rock and the songs are less jarring in their dynamic shifts, there is a very stormy mood that brews in the first songs. There is a more uplifting shade of gray to "Medusa" which falls somewhere between a ballad and a pop song. Rundle's keen ear for melodies keeps getting sharper as shown on the powerful "Hand of God" that has more of a acoustic folk feel, but still remaining slathered in rock brooding. I can hear hint of country influence on the ballad "Heaven". This is the first song I'm not a hundred percent sold on in the first listen. I think some of the hesitance in the melody and the more minimal arrangement doesn't full fill the promise of the first handful of songs. Though it does improve when the dynamics shift and it builds.

The album returns to the dark grungy tension it excels in on "So Come" . This one benefits from some interesting productions as there is a low frequency that is a gurgling undercurrent. Things turn to a dark indie folk not unlike the kind of creepy corners Chelsea Wolfe hides in on the song "Furious Angel", though it flows very lyrically rather than drags with any kind of doom like under side. The song find it's wing as it progresses and the subtle melodies proves very effective. The lyrics are actually pretty metal in their imagery. "Real Big Sky" closes the album. The guitar has a much rawer production value and creates a juxtaposition to her clear vocal line. This sounds like it could have come off of an album from any of the 90's alt-rock Lilillth Fair divas . It's as hooky as anything Alanis Morrisette might have one at this tempo. While "Heaven" didn't really connect as strongly with me I think the other songs make up for it so I'll give this one a 10 as Rundle continues to shine.



Comes out September 30th on Sargent House.

Wovenhand : "Star Treatment"

 This past weekend was spent at Dragon-Con, so I was only able to catch fleeting listens of this album while in transit. So now I can give it my full attention. Being a big fan of Eugene Edwards, expectations were high, but  I can say I ever doubted his ability to deliver as he has been very consistent over the years. It opens with a pounding rock gallop that pretty much picks up where "Refractory Obdurate" left off. Things take a turn for the weird on "Swaying Reed" that sounds like the acid kicked in at the same time the Holy Ghost descended upon them in the studio. This does capture the same abstract tone the Doors touched upon, but strikes me as more of an interlude than an actual song. "the Hired Hand" struts in with a ghostly western feel. Edwards' resonant baritone is commanding as it is emotive. What different this time around is more trippy space like sounds zoom out of the corners of the song. A more deliberate rock inspired stomp haunts "Crystal Palace" though the intervals of the melody in the back hearkens back to tribal music of the American Indians.  This album is certainly more atmospheric, though it's reined in to serve the songs. This is displayed on the exotic chord progression of "Crook and Flail" which finds keyboards playing a much larger role on this album. This opens a door to fans of progressive rock and psychedelic. Edwards elegantly weaves his voice around this song.

Speaking of psychedelic, the album gets a dynamic shift on "The Quiver". The vocal melody gets more breathing room on this song. There is also a very relaxed drifting Pink Floyd like feel to this one. There is a more surreal spell binding throb to "All Your Waves". This invokes a similar hypnotic feeling as the Holy Ghost inspired jamming on "Swaying Reed" the difference being, the vocals are more focused and it sounds like this is a song rather than Edwards just being poised at the threshold of another dimension where he might break out into tongues at any moment. The tribal influence of American Indians can once again be felt here. There is a lighter mood to "Golden Blossom". This is a more accessible ballad that touches on neo-folk, but has a more emotive soaring to it. It's a testament to Edwards ever expanding skills as a song writer, as this is just good music without the bounds of genres to confine it.

From this point on the song writing displayed stays pretty stellar.  Not that the songs on the first half are filler, it's just that these find Edwards at the peak of his prowess. There is a Neil Young or maybe even Johnny Cash like saunter to the tempo of "Go Ye Light", but Edwards being the superior singer gives this song the authority of an Old Testament prophet. There is much beauty to be found in the layers of "Five By Five".  Edwards backs off from the mic to get a little more introspective. Contrasting sounds color this song, the guitar might not be out of place on a Peter Murphy album, though there are lighter keyboard melodies trickling over this. The drums foreshadow a shift in intensity. This build in sonic intensity is very well played. This album only flirts with the darkness, but it is still satisfying. Maybe it's not as heavy as the previous album, "Star Treatment" is as powerful in other regards as Edwards other work.In certain places it's more accessible, but far from selling out by any means. I can easily round this one up to a 10 as I can hear it already growing on me with each listen.

Russian Circles : " Guidance"

The sixth album from the post-rock trio Russian Circles, carries a sense of maturation to the more nuanced playing showcased within these 7 songs. There is great restraint sometimes almost to a fault as the opening song highlights guitarist Mike Sullivan's chops but feels more like an intro piece that what I was expecting for this album to bust into. "Voral" finds the band locking back into the kind of thundering sludge rumble they are often noted for and really throw in your face live. This album is really well recorded and has a great guitar tone. The bass is a little more buried in the mix on  "Voral" than I would expect from them when they are firing on all cylinders. I'm more impressed though by the balance of ambiance and restrained groove they develop on "Mota". It sounds more like Tool jamming with Mogwai in the way everything is balanced in terms of tension and ethereal breathing room. If you more typical find your self into prog rock, where the emphasis is on the rocking then this one should draw you in. They don't get totally lost in shred geeking, but enough chops are flexed to appeal to that demographic.

The first metallic moment also occurs on "Mota", it's not black metal, but closer to Deafheaven than any other extreme metal band. "Afrika" has more of a floating post-rock atmosphere to it. This makes it less ground than the first three songs on the album. The excellent drumming serves as the glue on this one. Things continue on this same track with "Overboard", almost to a more Explosionsinthesky extent. It might even remind you of when that band got into making soundtracks for televisions shows about high school football, as the melody become much more defined. The bring back the heavy for "Calla".  Even then their understanding of riding the groove for all it's worth is what really drives this song. It's sonically sound and has plenty of grit, but won't go down as being the trio's meanest song.

"Lisboa" brings the mood back down to a more introspective stare into outer space. They are able to pour a convincing amount of emotion into their instruments. They soar into a beautiful climax, but it's not really anything new they are hitting you with. The drumming pounds the point home, but I would not say this is a metal album though it will appeal to the thinking man's metal head. I'll give this album an 8.5, as their fans will not be disappointed unless they were ready for them to take a hard left turn into something really experimental.This album comes out August 5th.

5.2