Paragraphs - Come Nap with Us

Artist:Paragraphs
Album: Come Nap With Us
Label:  Self released
Year: 2010 

Tracklist:

01. Once I'm a Doctor, I''ll Think of Great Titles
02. Believeverything
03. We Talk About Enemies More Than We Used To
04. Donna Martin Graduates!
05. The Dead of Night Has Never Felt More Alive

 Download

Minneapolis trio's sophomore release after January 2010's You Can't Make A Ghost Without Its Sheet. Track #1 features Jacob Grun of Me & My Arrow on vocals. Released the same day as Paragraphs' guitarist's solo release Little Slips under the name The Alaska Tile. Hear it at thealaskatile.bandcamp.com. Find PRGRPHS elsewhere at myspace.com/paragraphsband, facebook.com/prgrphs, and twitter.com/prgrphs.

credits

released 26 October 2010 

Paragraphs are Dan Vogel (drums/keys), Brigitte Mussack (keys/melodica), and Chris Polley (guitars). Recorded by Jacob Grun, Ryan Maier, & Amy Daml. Mixed by Jacob Grun & Ryan Maier. Mastered by Arun Antonyraj.

prgrphs.com
facebook.com/prgrphs
twitter.com/prgrphs
myspace.com/paragraphsband

Bird From The Abyss - III EP

Artist: Bird From The Abyss 
Album: III EP 
Label:  Self released
Year: 2010 

Tracklist:

01. Neck-Deep in Swampy Mud 
02. Powers Hidden 
03. Interlude from Abandoned Well 

 Download

(The saga continues and here is III EP, presented to you as an exclusive 50, numbered copy stack in a slim mini-DVD style case and black 8cm mini-CDr, with a sticker-on-cardboard insert and cover art by V. Lähde)

Official Site 
Buy 

Various Artists - A Hydra Head Sampler Phoning It In

Artist: Various Artists 
Album: A Hydra Head Sampler Phoning It In
Label:  Hydra Head
Year: 2010

Tracklist:

1. Oxbow + Philippe Thiphaine - "Coalking" From Songs for the French (5:46)
2. Daughters - "The First Supper" From "s/t" (3:18)
3. Bohren & Der Club Of Gore - "Unkerich" From Dolores (5:31)
4. Knut - "Calamity" From Wonder (1:43)
5. The Austerity Program - "Song 27" From Backsliders and Apostates Will Burn (4:04)
6. Pyramids With Nadja - "Another War" From Pyramids With Nadja (15:27)
7. Helms Alee - "Lionize" From Lionize/Truly 7" (2:45)
8. Hayaino Daisuki - "Ghosts of Purgatory" From The Invincible Gate Mind of the Infernal Fire Hell, or Did You Mean Hawaii Daisuki? (2:43)
9. Harvey Milk - "I Know This Is No Place For You" From A Small Turn of Human Kindness (5:07)
10. La Gritona - "Tony Alamo" From Demasiado Tonto Para Los Ninos Listos. Demasiado Listo Para Los Ninos Tontos (4:38)
11. Stephen Brodsky - "Here In Spirit" From Here's to the future (5:54)
12. Jodis - "Continents" From Secret House (7:27)
13. Nihill - "Mundus Subterreanus" From Krach (5:16)
14. Cave In - "Retina Sees Rewind" From Planets of Old (2:30)
15. Kayo Dot - "II. Whisper Ineffable" From Coyote (11:13)
16. Keelhaul "THC for One" from Keelhaul's Triumphant Return to Obscurity (3:34)
17. Clouds - "New Bombs" From B Chuggas May Be Logging (2:08)
18. Xasthur - "UNTITLED 4/05" From 2005 Demo (7:02)
19. GridLink - "Amber Gray" From Amber Gray (1:06)
20. Greymachine - "Wasted" From Disconnected (8:43)
21. Bergraven - "Hunger" From Till Makabert Vasen (7:08)
22. Torche - "UFO" From Songs For Singles (2:01)

 Download

 Regardless of the fact I/we shouldn't need to convince the public to download this sampler because... well... sampler = free, I/we plan on doing a little persuading... Please refer to list of reason for checking out the sampler below:

1. Free Jams!
2. 22 Free Jams!
3. Contains Some Unreleased Jams For Free!
4. Free Photos of the Lovely HHR Staff Having a Laugh and an Ice Creams!

 Official site

Strange Glue And The Post-Rock Underground Vol. 3

Artist: Compilation
Album: Strange Glue And The Post-Rock Underground Vol. 3
Label: Strange Glue
Year: 2010






Tracklist:
01. The American Dollar - Landing
02. Pg. Lost - Crystalline
03. Collapse Under The Empire - Crawling
04. Pelican - Strung Up From the Sky
05. The End Of The Ocean - Setting Sail
06. Analog Sound - Потеряно в переводе
07. Microfilm - State & Island
08. Eimog - Saved By Thirteen

Download

As the new decade begins we all set off on ambitious missions to achieve, succeed and explore. For some people they do so by working hard, for others they get their travelling boots on and for those reading, it's probably portrayed as a quest for new music.

If you are from the latter group then here's us getting the ball rolling, a compilation of the finest Post-Rock music around. A scientifically-proven mix of awe-inspiring tracks from both established and fledgling bands. Eight tracks of new, rare or unreleased material to tickle your fancy, tickle your auditory canal and to tick all your boxes with incendiary sonic explosions.

There is of course a catch, much like your local drug-dealer, we give away the first hit free-of-charge in the knowledge that you'll keep coming back for more at slightly raised prices. This is what is called 'the music industry', so blow the moths from your wallet or purse and start purchasing some albums by these fine bands -by Gareth Jones (strangeglue.com)

Info

Merkabah - Merkabah (EP)

Artist: Merkabah
Album: Merkabah EP
Label: Self Released
Year: 2009







Tracklist:
01. Looks, Sounds - Like Stale Time And Space
02. Narwhals
03. Still Water
04. Fields Of Shipwrecks Pointing South

Download

Merkabah was founded at the end of 2007 in Warsaw, Poland. Their music can be described as psychedelic metal combining improvised, noisy soundscapes with more precise, aggressive riffs and post-rock melodies. It often includes electronic influences, as well as tribal rhythms, all mixed with a feel of freedom and experimentation.

MySpace

Hollow Branches - Anchored In Sleep EP

Artist: Hollow Branches
Album: Anchored In Sleep EP
Label:  Strix Records
Year: 2009

Tracklist:
01. Steel Flowers
02. Anchored in Sleep
03. Ivory Dream
04. Ante Meridiem
05. Impending Morning Haunts

Download

More than 5,000 miles separates the members of Hollow Branches, they have only been in the same room a hand- ful of times, each is in several other bands, and none of this is likely to change. In spite of these obstacles, Hollow Branches has managed to record two EPs in 2009 alone.
With a sound equal parts ambient, rock and trip hop, Words are Fire received a digital release in February and was downloaded no less than 500 times. Since that time, five new tracks have been written for their second EP, An- chored in Sleep. Thematically inspired by dreams, insom- nia, nostalgia and morning, Anchored in Sleep finds Hollow Branches expanding their sound with elements of progressive and post rock, as well as glitch. Anchored in Sleep will be available for download and purchase before 2010.

Anchored in Sleep:
Robert Hunter
Marius Sjøli
Jason Walton

Official site
MySpace

Collapse Under The Empire - Find A Place To Be Safe

Artist: Collapse Under The Empire
Album: Find A Place To Be Safe
Label:  Sister Jack Records
Year: 2009

Tracklist:
01. Capture Moments
02. Crawling
03. Find A Place To Be Safe
04. Tranquillity
05. Angle Of Incidence
06. Decay
07. Far To The Past

08. A Smell Of Boiled Greens

09. Intelligence
10. Conscious Of Thirty-Nine
11. Take A Shot On Me


Download

New album Find A Place To Be Safe provided me with my first listen to German instrumentalists Collapse Under The Empire, so I had absolutely no idea what sort of thing to expect. Not to put too fine a point on it, I was pleasantly surprised. Collapse Under The Empire are an essential listen for fans of post-rock, and in fact something more, instilling their music with the sort of passion and contemplation I would have thought impossible without lyrics.

Find A Place To Be Safe opens strongly with Captured Moments and Crawling, before really hitting its stride with tracks like Angle of Incidence and Decay. Perfectly paced, well performed and deeply contemplative, Find A Place To Be Safe is fantastic, with other highlights including the title track, Tranquility... well, pretty much the whole thing.

To conclude (somewhat superfluously), Find A Place To Be Safe is a fantastic work, essential listening for fans of post rock. People who are really into their music owe it to themselves to check Collapse Under The Empire out. (-by Chris Render @ nsrcdrebiews.blogspot.com)

Official site
MySpace

Concentric - Immeasurable

Artist: Concentric
Album: Immeasurable
Label: Self Released
Year: 2009

Tracklist:
01. Sedatephobia
02. Balance
03. Counterbalance
04. Ghosts
05. Familiarity
06. Sleep Therapy
07. The Colossus
08. Verdiend
09. Immeasurable
10. Inspiration
11. Rock Island, 1931
12. Monument
13. Opaque

Download

If you think about it, for gruff metal heads a lot of us are accepting of some pretty mellow non metal acts: Tenhi, Nuen Welten, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, old Mortiis, Summoning, Dornenreich just to name a few, seem to get a free pass with metal heads and as artistically brilliant as many non metal acts are , they are not metal, yet get mentioned and reviewed on sites like this. And I’m not here to dispute that or dissect why, I’m just here to introduce you to a pretty stunning Milwaukee instrumental acoustic trio called Concentric.
Featuring former Deadtide.com writer Jerry Hauppa (who I actually owe no favors to for this review since he once publicly called me and digitalmetal.com out), Concentric play a form of technical avant-garde instrumental music that’s largely acoustic and somewhat flamenco-ish and sometimes folky (in an organic, medieval kind of way), has some violin and cello, and some occasional metal leanings, but is superbly performed and a nice break from all the breakdowns and blastbeats.
What Concentric manage to do is be delicate, laid back and relaxing, while retaining some metallic complexity. While certainly most of the album is languid yet intricate string/acoustic (with percussion) busy flourishes that bring to mind some of the great Flamenco/Acoustic soloists (“Familiarity”, “Opaque”, “Counterbalance”, the delightful duo of “Sleep Therapy” and closer “Verdiend”-complete with acoustic blast beat), its obvious that Hauppa’s metal background is still a little on display for the likes of the moody “The Colossus”, end of “Inspiration” and the 9-minute title track which delivers electric guitar riffs, solos and even a surprise blast beat.
Jim Becker adds some enchanting cello (particularly the haunting “Monument” and “Sedatophobia”) and violin work to the mix, while newly added drummer Brad O’ Malley give the acoustics dexterity some backbone- and it comes together for a rather breath taking but definitely non metal, 60 minute experience that, on headphones, just unravels, and envelops with each unique and beautiful chord and note.
A simply breath taking exercise in skillfull, dexterous acoustics, Concentric have to be one of the most talented and enthralling instrumental, non metal acts Ive been exposed too. I hope some of you guys feel the same way. (-by Erik Thomas @ teethofthedivine.com)

MySpace
Buy

My Silver Booster - Bunker

Artist: My Silver Booster
Album: Bunker
Label: Self Released
Year: 2009








Tracklist:
01. Orfei
02. Taci
03. Ciao
04. Grafica Bambaataa

Download

My Silver Booster are an experimental/ambient/post-rock band that create cold and slow minimal electronic tracks, straight from Italy. They formed in 2006, and released their first LP ‘Pane e Paranoie’ in 2007, and followed it up with Ambient Punk in 2008.
They are a 3 piece, with a 4th member enrolled only to make the visuals and videos for their live shows.

MySpace
Last.fm

Rosa Parks - Rosa Parks EP

Artist: Rosa Parks
Album: Rosa Parks EP
Label: Self Released
Year: 2009

Tracklist:
01. Fanum
02. XX
03. God Spent The Weekend On Earth

Download

Rosa Park is a four-piece group hailing from Győr, Hungary. They took their name from Rosa Lee Parks, a civil rights activist who was born and lived in the U.S.
Rosa Park were formed in 2007 and this EP is "celebrating", in a way,  their first two years of being together. I found the music wonderful and easy to listen to. It creates a nice atmosphere similar to "Explosions In The Sky", "Caspian", Scraps Of Tape and the likes...

As Gergő wrote in his message, the band is inspired by underground clubs, friends, hunger, history of injustice, melancholic moments.

Band Members Are:

Gergő – Guitar
Flo – Bass
Laci – Drums
Ádám – Guitar


Well done Gergő, well done Rosa Parks!!

Official site
MySpace

A Cold Dead Body - Promo

Artist: A Cold Dead Body
Album: Promo
Label: EARTHACHE ArtLab
Year: 2009

Tracklist:
01. Collapse
02. The Chosen Ones
03. Divinity Pt.1

Download

A Cold Dead Body is a band from the North-east of Italy. Everything started in 2005 as a one-man-band of lead singer Sten (ex-singer of the Metal-hardcore band Zune). After Zune's dissolution, this project finally became a real band starting the activity in 2007.

In 2009, they released a Promo EP of 3 tracks – the preview of the forthcoming debut album (spring 2010) – which is the very first publication of Earthache ArtLab - an art collective founded byLorenzo Cercelletta, Lucia Violetta Gasti and Cristiano Perin(members of the band).
Being realised in a limited number of copies (#150), each piece is handmade and hand-numbered, thus unique, and almost entirely made of natural and recycled materials.
The 100 Promo copies issued for the sale went sold out in about 48 hours.

Their first release promise big things to come, it remains to see them fulfilling our expectations.


MySpace

Képzelt Város - Mit Nekem

Artist: Képzelt Város
Album: Mit Nekem
Label: Major
Year: 2009








Tracklist:
01. Sol
02. D2
03. Papírhajó
04. Zuhanó
05. Sergei6
06. White Noise
07. Hercules
08. Futok

Download

Official site
MySpace

Fall Of Efrafa - Inle

Artist: Fall Of Efrafa 
Album: Inle 
Label: Halo of Flies, Sound Devastation, Alerta Antifascista Records, Behind the Scenes Records
Year: 2009

Tracklist:
01. Simulacrum
02. Fu Inle
03. Republic Of Heaven
04. The Burial
05. Woundwort
06. The Sky Suspended
07. Warren Of Snares

Download

Fall of Efrafa proves further that there is still a great deal of inventiveness in existence within the underground music scene by basing the entire concept (from band name, to topical song material, to artwork) around a singular work of literature by exploring the themes and moods and the mythology within Watership Down. Inle is the final installment in a trilogy of albums by this U.K. act and impressively lives up to its moniker (in Watership Down the black rabbit of Inle is the Grim Reaper of the world in the book) by bringing an end to the cycle for the band.

Fall of Efrafa demonstrates an exceptional skill with manipulating soft to loud and loud to soft dynamics while at the same time imbuing their music with a spatial depth that mixes harsh distortion with pleasant melodies. Coarse vocals contrast with music well and adds another element to the band's overall sound. Still, the one aspect of Fall of Efrafa that is most impressive on Inle is the exceptional compositional quality of their songs; the songs flow well and do not wear at all, even with some tracks that easily break the fifteen minute mark, possibly due to the music having a narrative quality itself, like it is speaking to the listener. The tension builds and falls only to start the process all over again as the songs roll in a wholly natural and organic manner that is evident from the very beginning with “Simulacrum,” and while the band somehow marries the different musical motifs (imagine if Neurosis got together with Godspeed You! Black Emperor and created a kind of amalgam of their unmistakable styles) to create their sound. Powerful sounding guitars and percussion combine with impassioned vocals and excellent song composition to provide an engaging and oft times exciting listen, and without a single weak track to be found on Inle, the album captures one's imagination.

I truly am taken aback by Inle from Fall of Efrafa, due in no small part to its breadth and scope. The whole album is impressive with little detail, if any, left out of the release from the music from the composition to the overall sound to the lyrical narrative to the packaging. The best way to experience Inle is to sit with the record on the turntable and the stereo turned up loud enough to force out any type of interruption; have the lyric sheet out so that you might follow along with the story, and just absorb the entire atmosphere that emanates around you while you listen.
-by  scenepointblanc.com 


Official site

MySpace
Buy

The End Of The Ocean - Calm Seas Don't Make Sailors

Artist: The End Of The Ocean
Album: Calm Seas Don't Make Sailors
Label: Self Released
Year: 2009







Tracklist:
01. Docks
02. Romancing The Stars
03. Setting Sail
04. Siren Sound

Download

The End Of The Ocean is a five piece instrumental post-rock band based out of Columbus Ohio.
Engulfing listeners in waves of eerie nostalgia and sorrow, the ambiance of The End Of The Ocean becomes a self-voyage of life’s ebb and flow unfailingly finding a beacon of hope at the horizon.

Official Site
MySpace

Buy

Collapse Under The Empire - Crawling

Artist: Collapse Under The Empire
Album: Crawling
Label: Believe Digital
Year: 2009







Tracklist:
01. Crawling
02. Captured Moments

Download

Collapse Under The Empire is an instrumental/post-rock duo from Hamburg / Germany. They formed 2007, when Chris Burda and Matthew Jason got together to develop their own music under the name of Collapse Under The Empire. They both released the first four songs for the EP Paintball in summer 2008.
After that they came up with their self-produced debut album, Systembreakdown, which was recorded in their own studio and saw the light as a digital album of day in spring 2009. The songs were praised by critics and audience alike and brought the young band a lot of attention on the scene.
For the second album the band were signed by the indie label Sister Jack. The new album Find A Place To Be Safe will be out over Cargo Records on Nov. 27th 2009. It was mastered by Michael Schwabe (Einstürzende Neubauten, Die Toten Hosen, Beatsteaks) at Monoposto Studio. The appropriate single Crawling was pre--publicized on Sept. 25th 2009 over Believe Digital.

Official Site
MySpace

Radius System - Escape/Restart

Artist: Radius System

Album: Escape/Restart

Label: Feels Like Home Studio

Year: 2008



Tracklist:
01. Release Chemicals
02. Bestsellers
03. Monochrome
04. Mental Guides
05. Impulsion Pt.1
06. Into Orbit
07. Impulsion Pt.2
08. Not Coming back

Download

Official Site
MySpace

Paneye - Along The Way To The Bigtop, My Life Just Dissolved

Artist: Paneye

Album: Along The Way To The Bigtop, My Life Just Dissolved

Label: Secret Station

Year: 2009






Tracklist:
01. Along The Way To The Bigtop, My Life Just Dissolved
02. Brain Forests
03. The Sallow Flesh Of The Sky
04. Tidal Breeze
05. Caravans Of Moss Are Camped In The Woods
06. Tents Hide Creatures
07. Balloon Skin Suits Of Rainbow Gimps
08. The Elephant Keeper
09. Headfogmindsmog
10. He Found Scales On His Chest
11. Sick Faeries
12. The Clearing Where She Once Stood

Download

MySpace
Buy It

Deviniance - Tempora Mutantur, Nos Et Mutamus In Illis

Artist: Deviniance

Album: Tempora Mutantur, Nos Et Mutamus In Illis

Label: Self Release

Year: 2009







Tracklist:
01. Curriculum Vitae
02. Cease And Heal
03. A Slow Decay
04. Cease And Heal (live)
05. A Slow Decay (live)

Download

Deviniance is a 5-peace band with two vocalists/guitarists a drummer, bass player and a synthesizer. A mixture of pure sludge, post rock, progressive metal they bring an anxial sound. The band is one year old and hungry for gigs everywhere and anyhow.

Official Site
MySpace

Ender - Ender

Artist: Ender

Album: Ender

Label: Darkroom Recordings

Year: 2008






Tracklist:
01. Part 1
02. Part 2
03. Part 3
04. Part 4

Download

Within the post-rock-encompassing skies of this four track EP, the listener finds herself confronted with the instrumental quintet Ender, who slaves over the most popular of instruments (guitar, bass and drum) to produce a self-titled audible calling-card. The album is made up of moody, yet powerful post-rock shrouded in a haze of gritty ambient. Imagine an cardboard egg-box branded "post-rock," filled with eleven battery-laid eggs and one odd-looking kiwi. Ender stands out just like that kiwi, with the familiar post-rock form, but without the clinical approach taken by so many others.

Like most of their Pacific colleagues, Ender knows how to manipulate the space and ambiance needed for their compositions to flourish and gradually evolve. The combined destructive weight of rhythm guitars and drums in the form of dragging riffs arch the elaborated structure that spans over the whole release. The introspective waves of evolving ambient and stacks of heavy hypnotic hooks are good for forty-two minutes of dark, enticing variations and a few spine-shivering moments, but never seem to deploy their full potential. Near the end of Ender, the band trades in their most heavy weight guitar sound for a piano, and tips the scale in favor of the conformist form.

Once the piano finds it's place in the closing composition, Ender brings it home with a less powerful but more subtle and emotional undertone. Without the drive - one that reminds the listener of European post-metal bands - of Ender's opening, the whole gives the impression that this is still not the best possible result. Their strength lies as much in esoteric explorations as in latent aggression, but I, for one, believe that the latter one - given some more attention - has a few interesting options to strengthen the whole.

Adding a few (distant) vocal accents would expose a more captivating, emotional side of their sound and thus engage the listener even more. At a certain point in "Track 2", the deep combined sound of the bass and guitar triggered a memory of a dirty-sounding Celtic Frost vocal line, fueling the dark tones of that dangerously fierce cloud-formation and accentuating the beauty of the redeeming matte light found in the ambiance. For obvious reasons, Tom Gabriel Fischer's vocals - or vocals in general - will not be the perfect solution to allow Ender to rise above the level of this EP, but if the outfit's drummer could batter their grayish blob of expressions with more depth and edge, they could have a decent shot at knocking me out of my socks. Perhaps then a reference to the hypnotic stoner doom slabs of Windmills By The Ocean is in order.- by Jurgen Verhasselt (thesilentballet.com)

MySpace

Buy

Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving - Tiny Fragments

Artist: Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving

Album: Tiny Fragments

Label: Self Release

Year: 2008






Tracklist:
01. Part One
02. Part Two
03. Part Three
04. The Banshee

Download

Tangled Thoughts of Leaving's music is progressive by nature. The inclusion of sparse influences, guided by concept and fused together, is the conception of their own sound, as each musicians respective inspirations force the collective into unchartered territory.

After several years of existence and growth, mid 2007 saw Tangled Thoughts of Leaving construct themselves a purpose built, make shift creative space.

A medium sized room, dedicated to forward thinking; the birth of new sound. In that very room, what was previously theory, became reality, and so began the process of four people leaving mediocrity behind them.

In the months of January, February and March of 2008, TToL used their creative space to record a concept, aptly titled 'Tiny Fragments'. This EP was to represent their current thought process. They gave themselves a series of themes, ideas from a previously recorded improvisation and a set amount of time.What followed was roughly 3 months of sproadic sessions, in which the 18 minute, 3 part title track was written and recorded.

With the creation of Tiny Fragments the band have demonstrated that they would rather risk potential failure than never pursue the invention of interesting art.

In late 2008, TToL approached likeminded instrumentalists sleepmakeswaves, from Sydney about doing a split CD. Hundreds of emails were exchanged as each band went away and recorded their contribution for the CD. The final product was released in April 2009 to an extremely positive reaction.

TToL are now working on their debut album, working towards a late 2009/early 2010 release date.

MySpace