Barbelith - Mirror Unveiled

A little more post-black for you today.  The drumming and vocals remind me a lot of the latest Bosse-De-Nage album, but the guitars and songwriting are a little "blacker" and do away with more of the indie rock influences.  Still, this has the same ups and downs between uplifting and sorrowful as many albums in the genre.  The first two tracks particularly wowed me.  My hats off to the drummer.  Stream it or buy it for $5 on BANDCAMP.

Secrets of the Sky - Pathway

How about a little progressive post metal today?  Unlike the more sludge-inclined stuff from the genre I tend to post, Secrets of the Sky are much heavier on the prog side of things.  The guitar effects sport hints of Tool, and the overall sound is comparable to acts like Minsk.  However, I think that this is a bit more engaging than the latter due to the concise song-writing and brevity.  I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed this, but with those cool bass lines, perfect mixture of spacy cleans and melodeath-sounding growls, and the hooky guitars; what's not to like?  It's a journey worth taking more than once.  You can stream the whole thing HERE at Invisible Oranges.  Then you can buy it HERE for $8.99.  I'm definitely considering it.

Bosse-De-Nage - All Fours

I'm going to slap the next hipster, post-hardcore band that calls itself black metal.  That being said, Bosse-De-Nage have built themselves a fine album of particularly ferocious post-hardcore.  As apparent from the album cover, All Fours is not interested in engaging the BM tropes they claim to share a genre space with.  But enough with the superficial.  The sound here is lush and emotionally potent.  Those DRUMS!  Clearly the highlight throughout the album, this is one of the most live mixtures of the energetic, technical, and fast kit work I have ever heard.  The gritty production adds to the frenetic qualities while disparing, jangly guitars, rumbly bass, and tortured vocals come together forming a Voltron of sorrow.  It's only 7 CAD on bandcamp.

Enjoyability=9
Musicianship=8.5
Innovation=7.8
Overall=8.6

Valve - Apnee

Continuing to bring the sludge, Valve has a little more of a blackened edge.  Honestly though, it feels more like a half-speed Converge.  In my mind, this is a good thing.  They share a similar vocal style as well as noisy, yet insanely catchy riffs that mix punk, progressive, alternative, and post-metal.  At around 35 minutes, the album sticks around just long enough to make an impression and leave you ready for another spin.  Even the one lengthy (13 minute) track maintains interest throughout with hook after hook of sludgy goodness.  It's only 3 Euro on BANDCAMP.

Enjoyability=9
Musicianship=8.5
Innovation=7.5
Overall=8.6

Wovoka - Saros

Los Angeles, California.  Home to sunshine, beaches, and hundreds of wealthy, beautiful people.  Surfing, shopping, smiling people.  Wovoka has come to change all of that.  They have come to slap the latte out of your hand and break those perfectly capped teeth.  Most closely comparable to works from Alaskan, Saros is a brutal piece of sludge metal determined to break down the façade and leave a wake of destruction.  Yet the coming storm is not without its own magnificence.

Guitars simply crush with a dual attack of crunchy, groovy chord progressions and melodic, effects-laden leads.  Utilizing everything from delay pedals to heavy reverb, Wovoka’s sound is dense.  Perhaps even more impressive are the drums, which are like waves of cascading cymbals and toms.  Every bass and snare hit seem to surround you with a tangible, live quality.  Between these slow, head-bob inducing rhythms, meaty bass lines, and sludgy riffs; I reached a level of zen: a peaceful acceptance of overwhelming grief and wretchedness. 

This relationship between the depressive and the blissful is only further emphasized by the vocals.  The pipes on this guy.  Somebody get him some tea and a throat lozenge, at least once he is done completely devastating the introduction to “Trials.”  Chills.  Every time.  With the deep tone of half-speed hardcore and unabashed honesty of Henry Rollins, Saros captivates and decimates.  The final words of the near-14 minute closing track are fitting: “There is nothing!”  Don’t expect this album to fill you with anything but self-righteous contempt.

In the end, Wovoka’s debut album is a captivating and emotionally-charged success.  While Saros does little in the way of exploring the boundaries of sludge or post-metal, it takes the blueprint to an absolute high point.  The consistent atmosphere, stellar production, and engaging songwriting never left me feeling anything less than mesmerized.  There is a track available for stream on their bandcamp, where you also can (and should) pre-order this monster.  Watch for it on April 14^th.  Bring bandages.

Enjoyability=9.5
Musicianship=8.6
Innovation=7.5
Overall=8.9

 

 

Animus Mortis - Testimonia

It’s rare that I find a group that would be equally as at home touring with Hopesfall as Taake.  Sure, there are plenty of post-black outfits that inject some indie and hardcore ethos into their blastbeat-driven sound, but the pure spacey post-rock riffs of tracks like “Hyperbole of Senses” forego the word fusion.  Rather, they are given their own unmolested space while the black metal vocals do the same.  Each seems to exist fully within its own genre while creating a true duality of beauty and ugliness.

Hailing from Chile, Animus Mortis play a highly emotive, guitar and drum driven brand of music.  While they are often listed as black metal, I think the closest tag would be post metal.  The combination of the jangly rhythm guitar chords and slow, sorrowful picked lead melodies is blissful rather than grim.  It’s the sort of melancholy that leads to introspection and new outlook.  Meanwhile the drums construct an ever-changing landscape of textures with double bass, tom fills, blastbeats, ear-catching cymbal patterns, and just an overall sense of both the technical and the memorable.

The vocals come in two major flavors:  almost folky baritone singing/chanting and echoed howls and growls.  The former often reminded me of early Borknagar, albeit more subdued and less theatrical.  Whatever comparisons they might conjure, I find these parts to be quite soothing.  The harsh vocals, on the other hand, have a much more cavernous, evil quality.  They seem to contort the very fabric of the music with songwriting shifting markedly into ominous minor keys and the drums becoming increasingly aggressive.  A good example is on “Manuscripts,” where the aforementioned peace between the black and the beautiful devolves temporarily into a spiraling chasm of darkness.

Honestly, every track on this album is a winner in some way.  I was drawn into each on my very first listen with the one-two punch of varied songwriting and striking hooks.  Each subsequent listen only grew in lushness and gratification.  While it may sound sappy, Testimonia takes me away to a different place.  A place where my feelings flow more freely and tears of both joy and regret threaten to burst forth at any moment.  But enough of my self-righteous pontification.  Check the album out for yourself on bandcamp.  It’s only 7 Euro if you feel as strongly about it as I did.

Enjoyability=9
Musicianship=9
Innovation=8.5
Overall=8.9

Downfall of Nur (Argentina)

So yet again, it’s 2015, and despite all of my convictions held that post-black is a trite and boring affair, I have been proven wrong.  After being severely underwhelmed by last year’s Deafhaven and its thousands of art-school imitators, group after group have shown me the light.  The solution is so obvious: make the music different and interesting.  This brings me to Downfall of Nur.  Fusing the haunting howls and chord structures of post metal, the constant build of progressive, and the engrossing soundscapes of blackened folk; Umbras de Barbagia is a monument of sorrow.

This album is a bit of a slow burner. In fact, it's a full 10 minutes before the vocals even kick in, but believe me when I say that your patience will be rewarded.  Fortunately, the wait is not a chore by any means.  Between the deeply sad minor chord patterns and the (unique) folk instrumentation, the well-constructed progressions provide plenty of feeling and engagement.  The most abundant untraditional instrument is the quenacho flute.  You will probably recognize its sound from Kung Fu, or Kill Bill part 2.  But there are also appearances of piano, strings, and even rain sounds.  Those who stick around to the final track will also experience a bagpipe performance fit for a funeral procession.

The vocals start off like most post-black acts: fairly unintelligible, screechy, buried in the mix, etc.  I was a little concerned at first that this might be where things take a turn for the worst.  However, much like with the instrumentation, there is a wealth of subtle variety to be found.  When things slow down, Dany Tee (Seelenmord, In Element, ex-Dead Warrior, Those Endless Eyes) goes with something a little more grim and growly that I can actually understand.  Even more pleasant are the passages of clean singing that border on a folky chanting. These slower parts feature some very crisp acoustic guitar and tons of reverb on everything. The production choices really help the drums sound deep and foreboding.

While sonically, it would be easy to compare the tone of this to other post-black acts, I find myself thinking more of Enslaved.  The two sound little alike, yet the simple, subtle takes on songwriting and manner of black and folk fusion warrant the association.  Those who have had the pleasure of listening to Au-Dessus’ debut, Tod Huetet Ubel, Telpathy’s 12 Areas or even Leviathan’s latest album are likely to find enjoyment in this as well.  Final word: Dark, haunting, and very rewarding.  Check it out on bandcamp for stream and consider it’s low 4 Euro price tag if you enjoy it as much as I did.

Enjoyability=9
Musicianship=8
Innovation=8
Overall=8.7

Telepathy (Essex)

I seem to be on a bit of a post-metal kick, which is weird because I normally just don't care for the genre.  Furthermore, this is instrumental; which I like but am even more picky about.  Despite having such barriers to jump over to please this jaded, fast-and-hard metalhead; 12 Areas managed to not only prove enjoyable but surpass all expectations.  The arrangements are interesting and intensity never lacking.  Crunchy, heavy, tasty: like a good cereal.  Name your price for a box here.

Alaskan (Ontario)

Making a 180 in intensity here. I've always wanted to go to Canada, but I perhaps unfairly never think of them as a country known for metal.  Sure, they have their share of heavy-hitters, but most people are going to think places like Sweden and Norway.  Enter Alaskan.  Very chill, but deceptively technical post metal full of imagery and feeling.  I listen to this album and I picture myself as one of the people on the cover.  I feel the cold wind as I pull my jacket tighter.  The ocean mist hits my face with the smell of fish and salt.  The boat rises and falls with each wave.  I would liken it a bit to Altar of Plagues striking a balance between what I found to be too repetitive of their early releases without experimenting quite as much as their final album.  Yet another pay-as-you-want.  Who says great music has to hurt your wallet?

Torrential Downpour (US)

A fellow Metal Stormer recommended this on a list, and MAN, was I glad I checked it out.  Progressive metal melding more genres than you can count on two hands.  I love the Mike Patton with Dillinger Escape Plan style vocals.  Has a very sci-fi vibe to it and the production is tight.  It's only $5, don't miss out.  Easily would have made my top 10 of 2014 had I heard it when it came out.

An Aesthetic Anaesthetic (US)

I'll admit that I am a little biased on this one.  I know these guys personally from my college days in Chicago.  Fortunately for you, they are more than just nice guys.  Melding post-metal, instrumental post-rock, noise-rock, and indie; A!A!A! are accomplished songwriters.  Their style can be similar to other Chicago acts like Russian Circles, but I find the guitar parts on these songs to be far more memorable and emotive.  I challenge you to listen to "We Set Tokyo Ablaze" without reaching some sort of feeling.  This album, my favorite, is available on bandcamp as a pay-what-you-want.  The band is now defunct, but with them starting families, your contributions are always appreciated.