Mare - Mare

Artist: Mare
Album: Mare
Label: Hydra Head Records
Year: 2004








Tracklist:
01. Anisette
02. They sent you
03. Tropics
04. Palaces
05. Sun for miles

Download
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com

Maybe I am blinded by my love for Hydrahead Records, but it seems to me that as of late the label has been churning out spectacular album after spectacular album at a rapid rate. Whether it's the latest release from regular mainstay Harkonen or the debut release from the young phenoms of Mare, Hydrahead definitely has a knack for finding talented acts to please my ears.

Mare hail from Toronto and generate music that is the result of equal parts Isis, Godflesh, and Today is the Day. That is to say, they create music with beautiful orchestrations that show off their technical mastery as well as their comprehension of atmospheric doom. "Anisette," the album's opening track, begins in a very subdued tone: the sound of a lone guitar stripped down with no distortion. It reminded me of holding your breath before something really intense is about to happen. And that is just what happens. At the sound of the first high-hat being struck, the tuned down and distortion heavy guitars enter the formula and blend into the musical representation of trudging through a Louisiana swamp. Partnered with the dual attack of coarse screams and sweet melodies of vocalist Tyler Semrick-Palmateer, this song is a feat you must hear.

With a seamless blend, we move on to the next track, "The Sent You." In contrast to the visceral screams that dominated the opening track, Semrick-Palmateer demonstrates his versatility as a vocalist on this song. The melodies from Semrick-Palmateeare are reminiscent of Mike Patton, particularly his mannerisms on Mr. Bungle's California., This is not something you would not expect to hear out of the same man whose scream personifies the phrase "immense heartache and pain." Mare continues to execute in the niche they have carved for themselves on the next track, "Tropics." And on the album's closer, "Palaces," they succeed in every aspect that I could ever desire in a band playing this style of music. Words just won't do it justice. You really should hear it to believe it, but this is epic doom metal at its finest.

For being a demo re-packaged as an EP, Mare's self-titled debut will no doubt be praised as the surprise release of the year by many critics. But for those familiar with Semrick-Palmateer's past with The End, this album really shouldn't come as a surprise. That doesn't mean that he carries the band; the music will be the driving force that keeps this band fresh as the years go on.(-by scenepointblank.com)

Official site
MySpace
Buy it

Come Sleep - The Burden Of Ballast

Artist: Come Sleep
Album: The Burden Of Ballast
Label: Version Studio
Year: 2007








Tracklist:
01. Be The End
02. To Unveil The Sky
03. Storm Awaits
04. For Sleep
05. Crave Change
06. Never Conquered
07. To This Day Not A Sound
08. His Beast Is Done
09. By The Unknown

Download
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com

That old saying attests that “you only get what you give.” Nowhere does this apply better than heavy metal. The genre can somehow simultaneously be an embarrassing parody of itself and push musical boundaries to new creative planes. The resurgence of “thinking man's metal” came with an increased presence of amplifiers, New York Times profiles, and expensive LPs. It's safe to say bands like Sunn0))), Isis, and Pelican are solidifying their presence as some of the fore founders of the trend. Say what you will about these bands, I think they're really adding some credibility to the genre, sometimes seemingly inevitably associated with the juvenile.

Come Sleep, based in Stockholm, offer a promising album worth of the kind of hypnotic, melodic, tectonic metal that has become increasingly popular over the last few years. The Burden of Ballast is nine tracks long and each cut safely dwells in the six to eight minute territory. These shouldn't be off-putting numbers if you're a purveyor of the niche this band occupies, though. Come Sleep does a good job making sure they sound varied, they aren't afraid to palm mute or play loud if they want to. Similarly, the band has some of the meditative, soft passages that give a band good range. The most direct comparison I could make would be Neurosis at their most contemporary. Vocals are interspersed tastefully, but the band is most interested in creating the oceanic, desolate music they do. The songs aren't long enough to even compare to the shortest Sleep songs, but they aren't as compact or poppy as Jesu. The band occupies a safe zone that is perhaps on the more palatable, accessible side of things.

Perhaps you're looking to explore the genre, Come Sleep would be a good place to start. This band is doing something original, offering the best of both converse ends of the “Doom/Drone/Post/Whatever” pack. (-by scenepointblank.com)


Official Site
MySpace
Buy

Constants - The Murder of Tom Fitzgerril EP

Artist: Constants
Album: The Murder of Tom Fitzgerril EP
Label: Radar Recordings
Year: 2007








Tracklist:
01. Walking Dead in East Texas
02. Robotica and Lobotomy
03. The Murder of Tom Fitzgerril
04. When Stars Dilate

Download
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com

I'm a sucker for sprawling, epic rock music. Mogwai, Isis, M83, etc… You name it, I'm in. There's just something about music that slowly draws you in and hypnotizes you that really fuels my engine. About six months ago, my band was scheduled to play a show at this awful venue that pretty much everyone avoids. Of course, we ended up playing to only a handful of people. After our set, as we all began downing as many drinks as humanly possible, the headlining band took the stage. The house lights went down and a few floodlights illuminated the mysterious figures on stage as they slowly crept into their first song. The band was Constants. They played sprawling, epic rock music. I was quite pleased.

The Murder of Tom Fitzgerril, the latest Constants EP, is a satisfying representation of what I initially heard that night. While the production could be better, the music never fails to suck you in. All four of the tracks that comprise the EP are nothing less than powerful indie-rock soundscapes that weave melody and energy into one capacious whole. These are songs in which you can easily lose yourself. But, The Murder of Tom Fitzgerril can also be an effective background companion. That is the beauty of this style of music and Constants definitely seem to know their way around. But, it's also important to know when to stop. Clocking in at around a half hour, this EP seems to end at exactly the right time. While this is ultimately at good thing, it makes me wonder if a full-length Constants recording would find the band overstaying their welcome. One can only hope that the band continues to expand their sound on future recordings. (scenepointblank.com)


Official site
MySpace
Buy it

Intronaut - Prehistoricisms

Artist: Intronaut
Album: Prehistoricisms
Label: Century Media
Year: 2008








Tracklist:
01. Promordial Soup
02. The Literal Black Cloud
03. Cavernous Den Of Shame
04. Prehistoricisms
05. Any Port
06. Sundial
07. Australopithecus
08. The Reptilian Brain
I. Sleep
II. Eat
III. Shit
IV. Fight
V. Fuck

Download
Download part 2
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com

Mixing intelligence and intensity all the while bringing psychedelic brutality, Intronaut have captivating hooks and unpredictable time changes. The essence of thinking mans metal that is so refreshing, it's a wake up call to the force feed masses. For fans of High On Fire, Isis, Torche, Opeth and Mastodon.


Official Site
MySpace
Preorder (official release on 16/09)

Manatees - The Forever Ending Jitter Quest Of Slow Hand Chuckle Walker: An Introduction To The Manatee

Artist: Manatees
Album: The Forever Ending Jitter Quest Of Slow Hand Chuckle Walker: An Introduction To The Manatee
Label: Eyesofsound / Motivesounds
Year: 2006





Tracklist:
01. I
02. II
03. III
04. IV
05. V

Download
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com

At a push this is post-rock; no track dips below four minutes and the
longest runs to almost 16, but these Manatees do their very best to
avoid being caught in one particular genre box.

Within the sprawling first track alone there are echoes of artists as
disparate as Mastodon, Mono, Kid 606 and the Pixies. The second sounds
like Tool on a tribal drum trip with Mike Patton and elsewhere there
are swirling effects, cavernous screams, walls of impenetrable,
metallic noise and a solemn poem made of simple guitar plucks and
warped samples.

There is some warmth to be found among the occasional bout of
sledgehammer noise and the slow rumbling of a bass guitar that sounds
like it has foot-wide cable for strings but this is mostly music that
conjures up images of violent, blustery tundra, calm, deep-frozen
mountains and the shimmering alienness of the northern lights.

For all this icy power though, there is no cool detachment here. Press
play on ‘Untitled’ and expect to be embraced into a different world,
taken on the sort of journey that few other records can provide, and
not released for the next 45 minutes. Stunning stuff.

both musically, and design wise, manatees' debut album is the most
ambitious motivesounds release so far. if forced into a pigeon hole,
this would be ambient, tribal metal, but you would be bitten straight
away for your efforts. certainly the heaviest music we have put out so
far, the five tracks on offer hear showcase an extremely promising
band at the very beginning of what is sure to be a long career.
rocksound magazine describes this as "one of the most ambitious albums
of 2006", so grab one now.

--

"So we finnally finished this monstrosity we have spent however many
months recording.

The Album is untitled and contains one 45 min plus opus entitled "the
forever ending Jitter quest of slow hand chuckle walker: an
introduction to the manatee" which has been split into 5 seperate
parts for better consumption and loveley hand drawn artwork is
courtsey of resident swedish tight face Magnus Birgson."


MySpace
Buy CD
Buy Vinyl

Monolith - Eclipse

Artist: Monolith
Album: Eclipse
Label: Self Realease
Year: 2008








Tracklist:
1. Apparition
2. Ascend
3. Surface
4. Born Of Fire
5. Descend

Download
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com


MySpace
Buy it

Adai - ...I Carry

Artist: Adai
Album: ...I Carry
Label: Radar Recordings
Year: 2007








Tracklist:
01. The March...
02. And Termination
03. Home
04. A Mark of Ownership
05. Hawkins

Download
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com

Adai is a textbook example of how to do it right in today’s tumultuous music biz. The two friends that comprise the band are hard-working, diligent, focused and, above all, they play a compelling, passionate blend of post-rock and metal. “[The band] originally was actually a four piece; two guitars, a bass, and a drummer. One of our guitarists and our bassist decided to leave,” drummer Justin Trujillo explains. “At the time we had some of our biggest shows lined up and [guitarist/vocalist Devin Mendoza and I] decided not to cancel them and instead see if we could make the two piece thing work. [W]e got a tremendous amount of positive feedback and decided to just stick with it.”

That relentless attitude is this Denver duo’s M.O. For their debut EP, …I Carry, surely they could have found a suitable studio in their native Colorado. But no, Trujillo and Mendoza weren’t going to settle for anything less than perfect, so they drove their van all the way to Massachusetts to record with one of metal’s most in-demand producers, Kurt Ballou (Converge, Cave In, Genghis Tron).

Since recording and self-releasing …I Carry in 2006-7, Adai has been hitting the road hard, touring with future labelmates Caspian, Junius, and Constants, among others. During that time, the band developed a relationship with Radar Recordings, who will be re-releasing …I Carry later this year. “We love everyone involved with [Radar] and they’re easily some of the hardest working people we’ve met in this industry,” Trujillo says.

One gets the sense that Trujillo and Mendoza are perfectionists. From working with Kurt Ballou, to tracking down Seldon Hunt (Isis) to design the sleeve for …I Carry, to choosing to continue as a duo– on their own terms– when bands with lesser mettle would have thrown in the towel prematurely; Trujillo and Mendoza clearly love what they do.

“Music for us is an emotional expression and it takes a lot for us to be satisfied with what we’re doing,” Trujillo explains. “That in itself has been the biggest struggle over the years we’ve been doing this but we couldn’t be happier with the results we’ve got so far.”- (metalmartyr.com)


Official site
MySpace
Buy it

Irepress - Samus Octology

Artist: Irepress
Album: Samus Octology
Label: Translation Loss Records
Year: 2007








Tracklist:
01. Pah no
02. Samus
03. Pistole
04. Snayk's tale
05. June ipper
06. Fiddler, yee-ryding
07. Frid/Ohmmartin E.e.k.
08. Nonografistole adendum (trampled to death by love)

Download
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com

Instrumental music that doesn't bore one to death is hard to come by, especially in a world like today. There are handfuls of bands attempting the instrumental sound and failing miserably. There are others of course that do succeed in such risky endeavors. Luckily for Irepress they are one of them. Instrumental bands have a tendency to bore an audience of listeners. Nevertheless, the conventions of their songs reach another feat: they are fun to listen to.

What exactly am I talking about? Well, Irepress, if you haven't already guessed it, is an instrumental band laced with hardcore sound. All in all it's a band we would expect to hear from the influences of today. However, Irepress stand out in a way that is very important: they don't follow the rules. Their music essentially, as most hardcore bands do, incorporates a slew of breakdowns. What's makes them so unique, however, is how crafty these breakdowns actually are, which his a blessing to all of us. Their musical style is a green thumb to today's established hardcore instrumental bands.

Luckily, to enjoy Irepress I don't have to see them live. Typically to really enjoy the full experience of a solely instrumental band it's important to see them live. However, the producer has done them well by incorporating the full air feel of the bands musical convictions.

Why listen to Irepress? Because it's fun and its epic. Imagine flying ninety miles per hour down a highway blasting Irepress and day dreaming of being chased by ninjas and directly above you is an alien spaceship awaiting the downfall of the world and you're the only one who can save the world. By the way, it's raining heavily and your family has been obliterated. That's the feel of Irepress, an epic entourage of expressive guitar and explosive bass.

It's difficult for me to point out the faults in this band. It's obvious that they have worked hard to record the album as tightly pressed as possible. They have completed the task of an instrumental band: to create music that doesn't need a vocalist. I actually tried sitting down and considering a vocalist to match the sound of Irepress. But there is no one that could still compliment the band and not delude the incorporating sound that the band has worked so hard to achieve.

If I had to describe the band I would have to title it “simple complexity.” The songs are very nicely strung together in a way that keeps your attention yet dares to prolong its minimalist nature. Something very daring it today's ADD culture.

I have to compliment the drummer on this one. The songs flow together smoothly because the drummer seems to send the band on its way. While the other instruments are the boat, the drummer is their sail, without him they are not lost essentially, but indeed slow paced. The drummer keeps the listeners interested. And for that I applaud him very much. Great musicianship.

To conclude, the only minor fault of the band is its distortion tone. Some may argue that the guitar tone is too compressed. However, it is of personal opinion that the tone is only necessary to continue the expression of the band as a whole. That's why they are a band, not just individual musicians. Buy this album; it will be worth your time. I'm going to see them live, and I hope you do to.

By the way, they have shared the stage with Wu Tang Clan and Immortal Technique. If you ask me, that's pure balls.-(scenepointblank.com)

MySpace
Buy it

Matthew Robert Cooper - Miniatures

Artist: Matthew Robert Cooper
Album: Miniatures
Label: Gaarden Records
Year: 2008








Tracklist:
01. Miniature 1
02. Miniature 2
03. Miniature 3
04. Miniature 4
05. Miniature 5
06. Miniature 6
07. Miniature 7
08. Miniature 8
09. Miniature 9

Download
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com

A proper album by Brian Eno and Philip Glass ranks near the top of my dream collaborations. The “Heroes” and Low symphonies don’t count, nor does the live transcription of Music for Airports Glass wrote for the Bang on a Can All-Stars: I’m talking about original collaborative work, something like The Pearl with Glass as Harold Budd. As Eluvium, Matthew Robert Cooper seems to dream of this collaboration, too, setting drones of Eno-caliber beatitude against piano and string themes of Glass-caliber austerity. But “Miniature 3″ is not an Eluvium track. By releasing it under his own name, Cooper signals a collapse of his usual dichotomy– theme and atmosphere blend into one liquefied mass. “Miniature 3″ evokes the gusty expanses of Christopher Bissonnette, or the hugely scaled ambiance of Stars of the Lid. Chords crest and break in super-slow-mo, and archipelagic bass tones wink in and out of a sea of stringed resonance. The longing that is so pronounced in Eluvium is here recessive and subtle, more insinuation than clarion call– the sound of a melody yearning for its orchestra.

Official site
MySpace
Buy it

For A Minor Reflection - Reistu pig vid, solin er komin a loft...

Artist: For A Minor Reflection
Album: Reistu pig vid, solin er komin a loft...
Label: Self Realease
Year: 2007








Tracklist:
01. Kyrrd
02. Reistu pig Vid Solin Er Komin A Loft...
03. Fallegt Utsyni
04. Ohljod
05. Okyrrd
06. ...Solin Er Sest Og Dapurleikinn Tekinn Vid Bless


Download
Download part 2
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com

For a Minor Reflection must sympathize with The Silent Ballet’s own editor-in-chief Jordan Volz. Though music critics have been saying that “Icelandic music is so beautiful it would make God cry if He had ears to hear it with and existed” for years, Volz proclaimed the fall of Iceland in his review of Múm’s Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy, commenting that the trademark Icelandic sound is really “all quite gimmicky, isn't it?” FAMR have looked elsewhere for their inspiration (at least from the musical end of the spectrum) to the relief of whiny, needy post-rock fanatics all over the world. It seems like the band has leapt from the proverbial frying pan and into the fire by escaping “gimmicky” Icelandic influences in favor of those that insidiously seep from the capital city of the second-largest state in the United States.

The album is a back-breaking hour’s worth of crescendo rock, opening with a nice introduction and then promptly forgetting that short “transitional” tracks are good for keeping an album flowing smoothly. Instead, they throw together five tracks that hover around the ten-minute mark, offering nothing in the way of transition but the resolution of the first song into the build-up of the next. The static nature of the album is not helped by the fact that all the songs are built using virtually the same structure. I don’t need to even describe it, honestly - any astute reader of this review will be able to identify the general crescendo rock song structure in their sleep.

The title track, “Reistu pig vid, Solin er Komin a Loft…” is the first of the long tracks on the album, and is so clumsy that it should have been left off the album altogether. If you’re going to play the kind of game FAMR are trying to, you’ve got to be an absolute master to get anywhere, and you definitely can’t use a track like this to introduce your sound to your listener. The transitions and build-ups are sloppy (around the 4:30 mark I visibly wince every time) and the climax is not worth the pain of the rest of the track, leaving the listener worried about what else is in store. After all, if they characterized their entire album by this track, what reason is there to believe that it should get better?

The next two tracks pick up a bit, at least being played competently, if unimaginatively. “Okyrrd” opens generically once more, with plodding bass and guitar hidden behind a screen of reverb. It also pulls the ‘introduce one instrument after another to sound like development’ trick that has been played so many times in the past. But around the four minute mark, after the false climax, something incredible happens: I start enjoying myself. At first, it’s nothing but pedal noodling on one guitar, but it is so unexpected that it sucks me in, then the pounding, deep drumming and faster, darker bass (eventually distorted) keep me hooked. It creates a darkness, a feeling that for the first time actually keeps the seasoned listener interested, and by the time the climax shows up, you’re cast along with it. “…Solin Er Sest Og Dapurleikin Tekinn Vid (Bless)” builds off of this momentum. Though it heralds a return to the more mournful, emotive theme that apparently every crescendo rock band ever wants to portray, it is done with such power and honesty that I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Reistu pig vid, Solin er Komin a Loft… is far too long for its own good, and shows the poor grasp of album construction and track selection that young bands are to be expected to make. Some crisp, knowledgeable editing could have done the album a world of good, as there is a raw honesty that I admire in the band’s work which is only inevitably downplayed due the frustrating nature of the CD. If FAMR analyze the work of their peers and channel their exuberance into new territories, then perhaps they will be the ones to bring Iceland’s sound back into the hearts and minds of pretentious critics like myself.-by Zach Mills(thesilentballet.com)

MySpace
Buy it

The American Dollar - A Memory Stream

Artist: The American Dollar
Album: A Memory Stream
Label: Planetary Records
Year: 2008








Tracklist:
01. The Slow Wait (1)
02. The Slow Wait (2)
03. Call
04. Bump
05. Intermission
06. Lights Dim
07. Transcendence
08. Our Hearts Are Read
09. Anything You Synthesize
10. We're Hitting Everything
11. Starscapes

Download
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com

The band American Dollar arranges songs into soundscapes and visions of futuristic music.
American Dollar has been together for seven years. MTV picked up the band's first song for its battleground television show. Their previous albums managed to become number one and two selling albums in Tokyo in 2007. (For them, "We're big in Japan," is true.)
"A Memory Stream" is a journey into new sonic territory. American Dollar has managed to make a true sound experiment while finding uncommon ways to explore the sonic world.
The song "Call" has a very repetitive drum machine part that seems looped. The pianos sound natural and the atmospheric quality of the track borders on techno. This music has a soothing quality that is suitable for dance clubs or someone listening to a CD player.
"Were Hitting Everything" has a synthy electric piano intro with gated electronic drums. This track could've been used on Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" soundtrack.
It has a very spacious sound quality to this track. American Dollar has managed to transcend the fixed space of the audio world with "A Memory Stream." It's a must for listeners of ethereal and new-age music.-by Rich McCracken II (metrospirit.com)

Official site
MySpace
Buy it

Tesa - HeartBeatsFromTheSky

Artist: Tesa
Album: HeartBeatsFromTheSky
Label: Old Skool Kids
Year: 2008







Tracklist:
01. I
02. II
03. III
04. IV
05. V
06. VI

Download
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com


Official site
MySpace

Husky - The Sea King

Artist: Husky
Album: The Sea King
Label: Self Release
Year: 2008








Tracklist:
01. The Drunkard
02. Flagship
03. Mayans vs. Martians
04. Aboard the Relic
05. Rejoice
06. Trading on the High Seas
07. Red Right Returning
08. Leeward and Easy

Download
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com

For their sophomore album, Charlotte, North Carolina's Husky has come up with a bit of a challenge. See, The Sea King is a concept album (based on “The Sea King” - the largest vessel ever built in Bowdoinham, ME, circa 1877), and Husky is an instrumental band. Even Peter and the Wolf had some narration, and that was more of straightforward yarn.

Those willing to invest the time can probably tie the individual tracks together into a cohesive narrative about a big fucking boat that one day sank in New York harbor, but for me, I'm just going to approach The Sea King as an album of songs and nothing more. Compared to their debut, the more landlubber named Circle the Wagons, Husky's certainly expanded their sound. While The Sea King still offers up plenty of dusty, Southern rock jams, there are also traces of straight forward rock (“Flagship”) and electronic fuzz n drone pyschedelia (“Mayans vs Martians,” “Rejoice”). Still, it's the semi-languid, sprawling tracks like “Aboard the Relic,” “Trading on the High Seas,” and “Leeward and Easy” that make The Sea King an impressive follow-up. The band seems most comfortable settling into a steady groove and letting the instruments express themselves. There's not a lot of fancy playing, but there's plenty of deep playing.

As with Circle the Wagons, The Sea King seems like one of those albums that's perfect for late night drives on long stretches of highway. It's good music to get lost to, and a fine collection of songs. (stonerrock.com)

Official site
MySpace
Buy it

Downliners Sekt - The Saltire Way

Artist: Downliners Sekt
Album: The Saltire Way
Label: dsekt.com
Year: 2008









Tracklist:
01. Scope Creep
02. Jewel Cases
03. Panic! Sonic Monk
04. Kaidan
05. Volga
06. Shulgin
07. School Daze
08. Mobilia Perpetua
09. Blackstock Mews
10. Shulgin (part II)
11. Point Omega
12. 1106 Etoile
13. Solstices




Download
Download part 2
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com

The band myspace declared “Bored as fuck with the Music Industry” and frankly we couldn't be happier. “The Saltire Wave” is a study in the marriage of electro-noise with break beat like elements but still with a post-rock core. On paper, it might sound like every other band out there but this band is really special as they bring an edge to the table that is undeniable. The band offers a lot of free music for download on their website downliners-sekt.com so there is no reason too at least go over there and download this album.
The albums firs song is “Scope Creep” the song starts off with a heavily distorted and dense guitar riff behind a jerky break beat. Every so often you think the song is going to turn on you but it holds it ground. “Panic Sonic Monk” is a song that after one listen it has left me speechless and a bit dizzy. The song is just an intense schooling in the mixing of so many different elements into a song. You can hear a strong bass going on behind it as well as and it just continues to build and suck you in for over 9 minutes. It is really an amazing tune that just blew me away with the noise level. I would love to see this done live. “Kaidan” is what we like to call a late night track. The song has a lot of small little elements that fit perfect for the headphone environment.
This album feels like it was made for me. It hit me in all the right places. The balance was there the sound was perfect. 65daysofstatic was a band who attempted to bring both words together but Downliners Sekt bring it together and then blow it up. -by John Siwicki

Official site
MySpace
Download it

The Evpatoria Report - Maar

Artist: The Evpatoria Report
Album: Maar
Label: Get A Life! Records
Year: 2008









Tracklist:
01. Eighteen Robins Road
02. Dar Now
03. Mithridate
04. Acheron




Download
Download part 2
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com


Official site
MySpace
Buy it (preorder - official release on 5/10/2008)

Shora - Malval

Artist: Shora
Album: Malval
Label: Conspiracy Records
Year: 2005








Tracklist:
01. Parhelion
02. Arch & Hum
03. Siphrodias
04. Klarheit

Download
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com

I've always been very sceptical towards bands that change genres with every new release. Shora, from Switzerland, is around since the late nineties. I still remember their debut cd that came out in 2000 on Grave Romance (Shaping The Random). It was one of the best European Converge / Botch styled metalcore releases of that year. Two years later Shora released a split cd with noise master Merzbow. Their songs on that split were fucking hard and extreme metal. And now, at the end of 2005, they're releasing an album that's blooming of delicate and atmospheric post-rock, combined with a touch of electronica. Isis? Yes, but different. Certainly, Shora has fully joined the league of bands as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Isis and Red Sparowes. At first sight the four songs on Malval have all characteristics that are typical for the genre. It's only when you get yourself deeper into the artificial world of the songs though that their true force gets revealed. Because unlike many of the aforementioned bands, Shora's songs don't depend much on the typical crescendos and sudden explosions of melody. The powerful thing is that the songs remain very dynamic nonetheless because of unattended rhythmic breaks and slumbering melodies that nestle themselves in the back of your head. The third song, Siphrodias, is probably the best example of that. The guitars and moody noises are building up the tension and when you'd expect the song to burst out into the most emotional heavy part, there's just a few seconds of silence… It's details like these that make this album as powerful as it is. As said before, Siphrodias is a good song, but it lacks the underlying mood-shifting melodies that lift the three other songs on this album to a higher level. The first two songs, Parhelion and Arch & Hum, as well as the last one called Klarheit, are beauties of experimental rock. They're taking your mind away on a trip that's never revealing what's about to come next. And that's exactly what makes it so captivating. Everyone that's willing to do some effort to get into the instrumentally painted Shoral landscapes, is about to encounter the thrills of beauty, joy, despair and hope in just over half an hour of music. Malval is an album of undisturbed guitars, subtle drums and moody keyboard touches. Anyone into postrock can gear up for another instrumental mysterious voyage that might look a little typical at first sight, but that's far away from postrock clichés in the end. Forget about metal, Shora anno 2005 is softer yet touching souls harder than ever. No need to be sceptical. (semtexinc.com)

Official site
MySpace
Buy it

Joy Wants Eternity - You Who Pretend To Sleep

Artist: Joy Wants Eternity
Album: You Who Pretend To Sleep
Label: Beep Repaired
Year: 2007








Tracklist:
01. Exitences Rust
02. Above the Clouds Lies Eternal Sun
03. From Embrace to Embrace
04. Death is a Door the Opens
05. What Lies Beyond
06. Yet Onward We Marched
07. Uriel
08. You are the Vertical, You are the Horizon


Download
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com


Joy Wants Eternity is a 5 piece band based out of Seattle, Washington that by sifting through materials online would lead you to believe that they are another instrumental post-rock band. Honestly that’s what I figured it would be when I initially checked out the group’s page on MySpace, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear what began to play as soon as it loaded. The song, which was “Existences Rust” from their upcoming debut album You Who Pretend to Sleep, sparked the thought in my head that if I were to be in a band like that, then this is what I would want to sound like. So I was thrilled to find the actual album show up in my mailbox this past Friday and it has proved to be every bit as good as my first impression of them led me to believe.

Comparisons to fellow post-rockers like Mogwai, Mono, and etc. are sure to be pinned on these guys. It’s obvious that there are parts of You Who Pretend to Sleep that draw from these bands, but I found myself being taken in by the amount of warm feedback and the almost full scale ambient direction they tend to take the music at times. I would consider this album to be more motivated by past shoegaze acts than anything else. The crashes of slow melting feedback are quick to remind me of either Slowdive or Flying Saucer Attack, especially the more ambient and spaced out tracks like “Death is a Door That Opens” and “What Lies Behind”. To me, this is where they really excel, in creating such warm and lush sounds that will do more than get your blood pumping for a few mere minutes. Joy Wants Eternity has created an exceptionally beautiful and powerful sounding record that will wrap itself around the listener for eight solid tracks. I can’t recommend this one enough for those that enjoy both post-rock and shoegaze; it’s a great mixture of the two that will surely please fans of either. -by Jonathan (builtonaweakspot.com)

Official site
MySpace
Buy it

Exxasens - Polaris

Artist: Exxasens
Album: Polaris
Label: Consouling Sounds
Year: 2008








Tracklist:
01. Polaris
02. Mira Mama
03. Your Dreams Are My Dreams
04. Spides On the Moon
05. Blue Space
06. Milk Stars
07. Faster Than Speed Of Light
08. Gamma Channel
09. Storms
10. Melancolie
11. Exxasens


Download
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com

The future of post-metal is blurry. As blunt a statement as it is, I'll go even further and say that it has always been. From its inception, the genre has been searching for itself in the same bumpy, awkward way a blind man looks for its cane on a hungover Sunday morning. Ask ten different people what post-metal is supposed to sound like, you'll most likely get as many different answers. This is easily explained: every established band switches sounds completely in between albums, sometimes in the most harmful way (as usual, see Pelican), while those that aren't recognized as leaders try their best at copying their forefathers measure by measure. One could argue that it is standard procedure for a genre to take some time to find its marks; but post-metal has come to a point where there's been a debate among fans for years about its very existence(!). While some claim it's just a style that oscillates between melodic doom-metal and heavy post-hardcore, others state that it does exist, but is indeed comprised of and limited to anything that sounds exactly like Isis' Oceanic.

In such a context, as the new album queue swells up, it’s becoming painstakingly difficult to find anything good. Let's take a look at this year's pedigree: the new Russian Circles made a good impression, and... that's it. Six months, one noticeable album. The picture isn't pretty, and it makes me wonder; have we reviewers grown tired of the countless half-assed attempts at this music, or have the artists themselves? Some of these records sound like the people behind them aren't even trying anymore. I, for one, am ready to give a chance to anyone who still feels like making some good music. And on cue comes Barcelona's promising new one-man band, Exxasens.

As any astute reader of this review will have guessed, this is a long way from being the album of the year, but keep on reading. Polaris is one of those albums that give a very enjoyable impression on the first listen. Exxasens' music is catchy, tailored for the listener to fully express himself through the art of headbanging. Often, it's right after this first listen that most records of the sort fail to impress; the early excitement dies down, you start paying attention to more than the main riffs, which may lead to plain disappointment. Fret not, a more acute analysis of Polaris doesn't give heartburns, but it does point out the fact that something is missing.

Like I stated before, one of the plagues of post-metal is the distinct lack of originality in up-and-coming acts. Most tend to walk in the footsteps of their elders, in more or less successful ways. I can't help but feel that Exxasens relies too much upon what's been done before:obvious progression from quiet to loud, hefty use of layering, doom-esque basslines, subtle drum breaks every few measures; if you've listened to anything from the genre before, chances are you'll easily anticipate ten seconds in advance everything that's going to happen. Thankfully, and this is where Exxasens separates himself from his peers, it doesn't stop here. Some elements give Polaris a feeling of freshness, the most salient being the incorporation of electronic structures within the music. The album is very fast-paced and samples are thrown in here and there, while the drum breaks often resemble the percussions one can find on an idm record. Fellow reviewer Tom Butcher said it best in his review of Blackwaves' [album artist=Blackwaves]012[/album]: drumming can make or break an album. The drum work on Polaris is really what kept me hooked throughout my many listens, and while it's not the most innovative, it makes for a perfect backbone to the upper layers of sound.

For a debut CD-R, Polaris shows a great amount of potential. In a genre where fans have become used to disappointment, the bits of originality and seriousness Exxasens displays are enough to look upon his music in a positive way. What he needs now is to further explore his own voice and let go of the reassuring hand of the bands that paved the way. I can tell he has a genuine passion for his music, and that single fact convinces me that his next release will be one to watch out for.-by Samy (The Silent Ballet)

MySpace
Buy it

Expedicion A Las Estrellas - 72

Artist: Expedicion A Las Estrellas
Album: 72
Label: None
Year: 2008





Tracklist:
01. Daksha Kinich Ahau 3113-5.125
02. La Distancia Se Oscurece Entre Petalos De Luna
03. 1979-2007
04. Ens Seminis (Phoenix)
05. Entropνa Cegada Ante El Horror Autumnal Del Satelite Mas Distante
Al Corazσn...


Expediciσn a las Estrellas is a conceptual cosmology band with a unique genre in Latin-American; they have a huge influence by the atmospheric sounds from East and Europe. They have made an amazing fan-base through all this years: they are epic, emotional, and inspirational gathering a perfect balance between metal and post-rock. ‘EALE’, as all the fans know, they find a spiritual landscape with their music. The lyrics are beautifully builded in Spanish, describing us what is going to happen in the year 2012. All the band members are artists in various genres such as films and documentary’s makers, photographers, painters, literature and very special music lovers. This band is the pioneer here in latinamerica and we all want to be part of this expedition, they write beautiful notes to the stars and feed us back with
spiritualism. This Promo EP is is one of the most expected releases of this year for the underground masses. ‘72’, it's the sinergy to fly to 9, the number of GIO "god of red oceans, their god as they describe him. All members are Sxe and Vegans but they respect each lifestyles and try to give a unique cosmovision doing the "mirror effect" the sky represents the earth.


Download
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com


Official site
MySpace
Buy it

Mouth Of The Architect - Quietly

Artist: Mouth Of The Architect
Album: Quietly
Label: Translation Loss
Year: 2008








Tracklist:
01. Quietly
02. Hate And Heartache
03. Pine Boxes
04. Guilt And The Like
05. Generation Of Ghosts
06. Rocking Chairs And Shotguns
07. Medicine
08. A Beautiful Corpse

Download
Download part 2
pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com

What is rage? I'm not talking about the angst that bands like A Silver Mount Zion pander to in order to make a living (hey, we've all got to get by somehow), but pure, unadulterated rage. It seems that, at least in America, we're rage-deficient, a passive-aggressive generation, if you will. We bottle up our rage at our jobs, at those around us, at wars, all to maintain a sense of comfort in the known. What I am saying is nothing new, nothing extraordinary – it is probably a clichéd platitude by now – but that doesn't make it any less true. The question that needs to be asked, however, is where has the rage gone? Where is the purifying, obsessive voice that the emotion lends to human individuals? Dayton, Ohio's Mouth of the Architect has found it, and wants you to find it, too. Quietly is the band's first complete monument to rage, a beast of a release with a purpose.

Quietly is the album's ironic title – as you'd expect if you're familiar with the band, there's not too much that is “quiet” about Mouth of the Architect. The release does step into the realm of significant ambient passages for the first time, however, and the effect of contrast is nothing short of stunning. The eerie “Pine Boxes” creates the most haunting effect on the release with samples of a woman and man repeating the phrase “I just remember this feeling of... emptiness.” The most interesting part about the track is how it is used to contrast with the track that precedes it, “Hate and Heartache.” The track begins with a sample urging people to anger, to rage against the perceived failings of the world around them, which leads into an overpowering composition the likes of which Mouth of the Architect is famous for. The band follows this with the aforementioned track of passivity, of emptiness, to highlight the distinction between the two: “Hate and Heartache,” though painful and difficult, is ultimately energizing and filled with vitality, and preferable to the mere emptiness that follows. Perhaps the most interesting decision the band makes regarding the ambient track is that it isn't immediately followed by a brutal explosion of distortion. Mouth of the Architect knows how effective quiet-loud compositions can be, and an explosion right after such a quiet piece can really get the listener right where you want them (they do, in fact, use this trick later in the album). But the band wants the unsettling feeling created by “Pine Boxes” to sit with you, and so “Guilt and the Like” develops slowly. If this isn't masterful album organization, I don't know what is.

All of this is elegant conceptual grounding for the heart of the album, “Generation of Ghosts.” The band has found their source of rage in the lack of rage around them, in the utter passivity and emptiness of their peers, and this is the point where the statement is made. Everything is executed flawlessly, from the opening wall of sound to the inclusion of female vocals, used to contrast the guttural growls that dominate the album. But really, the most important thing about the track is that it completes the band's molding of the listener, from a passive receptor of events to an angry, active interpreter, able to roar out with Mouth of the Architect themselves and join them in the beautiful celebration of this achievement.

I must admit, I've never been a huge metal fan – most of it just seems too much like a masturbatory display of technical skill (actual or imaginary) without any consideration to how the music actually sounds (perhaps you find the image of three or four big sweaty guys wanking into your ears a pleasurable one, but it just doesn't appeal to me). But Mouth of the Architect consistently manages to set itself apart from the rest of the genre, creating vibrant and powerful post-metal that goes far beyond the mere massive riffs of many of the band's peers. This is metal to think about, to participate in, and most of all, to listen to actively. Don't put it on and forget it – you'll be doing yourself a huge disservice. Quietly sets the bar for post-metal, challenging any and all other albums in the genre to attempt to top it in even one aspect, be it cohesion, instrumental brutality, imagination, or conceptual prowess. This album is the real deal – avoid it at your own risk. -by Zach Mills (thesilentballet.com)

Official site
MySpace
Buy it(Official release on 22nd of July)