Elder - Reflections of a Floating World Review

Elder - Reflections of a Floating World (Stickman Records)

The big question is, have Elder been resting on their Lore-els since their last mind blowing album? Admittedly Reflections of a Floating World may sound like a case of copy and paste at first, but this album has plenty of tricks up its long and lustrous sleeves. Opener 'Sanctuary' pretty much does the same job as 'Compendium' did on Lore of setting the tone of lengthy, undulating tracks punctuated with metallic leads and hefty riffs. A steady unfurling of blissful post rock atmospheres with a hearty stoner metal base underneath.

'Sonntag' is the oddball song. Answers on a postcard if you know what is happening on this one! It is an instrumental - which by Elders standards shouldn't be a problem, and sounds like a throw back to a Porcupine Tree wig-out and one of the more obscure Cult of Luna songs. This could well be a skip song for some. It may unfortunately end up will be something like a jam that is usually reserved as a secret track following a big silence at the end of the album.  Closer 'Thousand Hands' is a fine example of Elder's ability to craft majestic pieces of music, and really doesn't need to be ruined in this fashion. 

Fans of the band will be pleased. Newcomers will surely be dosed, serenaded and enchanted by the haunting beauty of Elder. Good job these guys decided not to wait another 4 years between full-lengths, wise move indeed.

Another Witcher 3 clip as I test out the tech...

The Witcher 3 Grapeshot Kaboom

Mature, Thoughtful, Torche?

Torche - Restarter (2015, Relapse Records)

The heavy sounds of Floridian titans Torche are back again after what seems like an eternity since 2012's Harmonicraft. To all you nuts out there hollering "Torche rules!" I salute you, and fear not this is quintessential Torche. 

The most lighthearted (I know!) songs here is 'Loose Men' and 'Blasted', but there is still an almost nostalgic melancholy to it. The whole album has a more thoughtful and mature stance. It still takes nothing away from the quality of the content. As bassist Jonathan Nuñez stated in a Stereogum interview these songs are "a bit slower than Harmonicraft and the songs breathe more.".

Side B, or 'No Servants' onward, for you non-vinyl loving digital scum, is especially bleak. The last song, which is probably the most hypnotic and alluring of the songs, also the title track is an 8 minute plus beast which has its own dismal gravity. The lyrics simply read: "Our leaders are
 Done with conversations"
And so Torche are done with conversations as these lyrics echo only twice during the lengthy epic, but they don't need to as the song glides along effortlessly and 8 minutes feel more like 3.

The weighty 'Barrier Hammer' swings like a wrecking ball in slow motion, its destructive force is immense, and is the doomiest the band have got in a long time. It is a slab of pile-driving heaviness summoned from the pits of despair, and would fit perfectly onto the In Return (2007) EP.  The slow despondent churn of 'Believe It' gets your head nodding with its chunky main riffs, while the sultry leads suck you into the murky depths of dark imaginations.

There is a definite different vibe to Meanderthal (2008) and Harmonicraft, but closer to the former if you had to be picky. Things are gloomy indeed, but in a most gratifying way. With Restarter the band have still stayed on course but dropped some of the poppy pomp of previous outings. Maybe that's what the album is all about, a re-start for Torche in just a slightly different vein? It's worth a listen all day long for newcomers and lifelong fans alike.

The Devin Townsend Project w/ Shining and Periphery, O2 Bristol Gig Review. 29th March 2015.

Shining were up first and had to squeeze into what space was left after the DTP'S gear and monstrous drum set up had dominated the stage, and promptly burst into their brand of so called 'Blackjazz'. The thing that bothers me with this label is the lack of black metal. The fusion of black metal and jazz has been masterfully handled by Ihsahn, and if anything this should be recognized as Blackjazz. This just seems a mix-up for the sake of it to me. Its an awkward blend of industrial metal and jazz elements, very similar to Djent, with added saxophone. The performance lacks a certain energy here tonight and any newcomers might be dissuaded. 

Periphery are also a band that have a melting pot of ideas, and are notably skilled musicians, but the song crafting seems to have been left behind. A lesson could be learnt from the likes of The Dillinger Escape Plan or Between The Buried and Me, and I'm sorry, but the poppy vocals are overkill. Energetic performance, warm reception from the crowd, but lacking an overall musical cohesion.

The Devin Townsend Project on the other hand ooze charisma, confidence and humility and after an irritatingly long intro involving Ziltoid the Omniscient himself, the band dive into a hearty rendition of 'War'. The set-list on the night continued in this vein (much to the delight of the die-hard fans) including a cut from most albums. From 'Night' and 'Christeen' to 'Storm' and 'Namaste', many of these hidden gems have not been aired in these parts for many years. You can bet your bottom dollar the crowd was brimming with smiles at the beginning of each song. 

The self-confessed nerdy bromance that has emerged between these three bands on this tour is pretty strong to say the least. Each band would have to be surgically removed from each others asses if it continues in such a fashion! The mystery jazz monkey to make an appearance during 'Lucky Animals' was obviously Jørgen Munkeby of Shining, but a nice touch indeed.

The DTP stole the show as was always likely, the visuals, the energy and the tightness of it all was immense, let alone the fresh choice of songs. The only gripe most fans would have (unless they haven't had time to check it out yet, or are casuals) would be the lack of material from either disc of 2014's Z2. Even if the slipped in 'Ziltoid Goes Home' or 'Universal Flame' the show would have been nearing perfection.

Svalbard Split With Pariso

This split EP featuring tracks from both Svalbard and Pariso individually and two collaborative tracks came out in 2014. It is probably Svalbard's strongest and most accessible work to date. You can see why they along with Sonance have secured another spot playing at the prestigious Temples festival again in its second incarnation in May. The Bristol bunch have seen a quick rise to attention just by being sheer quality and honesty throughout.

The two tunes made with Pariso are the heaviest on the split and venture into Deathcore territory a bit more. They are still finely tuned fury and no doubt pit inducing beasts. 'Ripped Apart' marks the opening of the tracks for Svalbard, and starts things of at a breakneck pace, and despite its top notch heaviness, the charming and almost haunting melodies remain in the right places and in the right amounts.

The song 'Grayscale'. Motherfuckinghell. Its amazing, uplifting and majestic yet still maintains its razor-sharp edge till the bitter end. Soaring out of the speakers quite literally, this fusion of post-rock and hardcore is not a new emergence on the scene, but still effortlessly pulled off to perfection. In fact this marriage of the two genres pervades across this split and all of Svalbard's short existence.

The ethereal nature of this rocking EP allows the listener to easily picture a video for any of the Svalbard songs, even for the less creative minds out there. The slow building tearjerker that is 'Allure' is an example of such powers. With an intro that sounds like post-millennium Propagandhi (not a bad thing!) the track tantalisingly unwinds to a fist pumping finish.

They sound well honed and wise past their years. Their brand of fresh, modern hardcore doesn't flirt with pretension or any whiny soaring, clean vocals that would here be completely unnecessary and marring something special. The sound of this band may be perfectly summed up by the bleak, near uninhabitable environment of the Norwegian Islands which they share their name with, but its still warms my cockles every time I hit the play button.

Whiplash

Whiplash, directed by relative newcomer Damien Chazelle is a fantastic film. From start to finish it is concise and engaging. The soundtrack is... you guessed it! Jazz. Well the story of a little drummer boy becoming a jazz man through the brutal tutelage of J.K. Simmons at a prestigious music school wasn't exactly going to have One Direction or Slayer on the soundtrack was it?

Brutal is an understatement. He is terrifying. Old school teacher. Reminds me of a primary school teacher I used to have. Threw chairs, pencils. Foamed at the mouth when shouting. Drank rum from a hip flask in his desk. Well guess what - it fucking worked. No bullshit, everybody paid attention. I think I wet myself a couple of times during this film! Id recommend a nappy, catheter or other appropriate sanitary product for viewers with a nervous disposition.

Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), an influential and ruthless tutor at the Schaffer Conservatory of Music in New York who discovers a young first year student Andrew Nieman (Miles Teller) practicing his drums and notices he has something special. Fletcher puts him through his paces (literally!) to get the best out of him. However his methods are cruel, emotionally devastating and sometimes convoluted.

As the story progresses, Nieman makes many sacrifices and alienates his family. A great scene occurs at his family's dinner table where the 'dumb jock' character is doted by his family for his minor achievements in american football, and Nieman is quickly forgotten until he bites back with a scathing assessment of what he sees as pathetic achievements in comparison to his talent, showing him at his most passionate.

Niemans evolution from extremely nervous to utmost dedication and fiery temperament is very believable. His father, played by Paul Reiser who doesn't fully understand his son, but is always there for him is also a very convincing (if only minor) performance. 

Very watchable, I almost looked forward to seeing it again as soon as the last cymbal sounded out. Its impressively easy to root for the main character, and sympathise with Fletcher as he is chastised for his unorthodox teaching approach. It makes you wish you had a Fletcher in your life to motivate you to reach your full potential. Oh yeah, the drumming is pretty good too!

Birdman: Wings Clipped

Birdman by Alejandro González Iñárritu is a tale of a washed up actor seeking redemption at the hands of the theatre community after previously starring in the wildly successful 'Birdman' trilogy. From the start right until the final credits the camera movement is nauseating and the scatty jazzy soundtrack borders on pretentious, which is plain irritating. This shamefully masks some fantastic acting from Michael Keaton, Edward Norton and Zach Galifianakis.

I thought I had daydreamed for a moment and thought I was watching a bizarre remake of the West Wing, with Keaton as the president. How the camera followed in front of Keaton as he walked down the halls of the theater (intentional or not) was very reminiscent of Sheen in the aforementioned show. The only time the camera seems to sit still is during the scenes set in Riggan's room at the theatre. It could symbolize the stability and calmness he feels when he is alone in his room (well apart from the Birdman of course!). 

The hint to Michael Keaton's caped past throughout this film is obvious, even down to the deep voice of the voice of Riggan's ego echoing Christian Bale in the Nolan adaptions. The diatribe towards audiences of the Superhero movie genre seems to come from jealousy rather than clever observation. Superhero movies are borne from illustrated novels mostly and are supposed to be action packed by definition right? All genres are plagued with hit and miss films, not just this particular area. Its worth having a thousand Green Lantern's if we still get a Dark Knight at the end.

Edward Norton is fantastic as the passionate, volatile Mike who is brought in at the last minute due to some terrible acting. His highlight is a smashing incident during one of the play's previews. Emma Stone is the daughter who's sass and apathy inevitably melt as she has a predictable Hallmark moment with her father. Her romance with Mike is very unrealistic like most romance in Hollywood, but adorable nonetheless and an essential part of the plot. Without all the little things building up and going against the protagonist like a game of Buckaroo, we wouldnt get how stressed Riggan is by everything going on and not going on in his life.

Despite all my angst when describing this film, there are some genuinely funny moments. The dressing gown episode that goes viral is genius. When Keaton's ego is rallying him during a great scene, he says "60 is the new 30 motherfucker". Not that nudity and profanity are the only things that float my boat, this is just coincidence.

Insomnium - Ephemeral EP

Insomnium seem to be confident of a strong album release in 2014, with the as yet unnamed project touted by the band to be sounding amazing on their Twitter and Facebook pages. If there's anything to get excited about (apart from all the great records they have created in the past) there is a teaser EP, Ephemeral which contains the title track and three acoustic instrumentals. Whether or not this track appears on the anticipated new album is subject to speculation, but either way it documents a band on form.

There is a subtle haunting in the vein of Dark Tranquility (no strangers - see below) that echoes though the opening passages of 'Ephemeral'. It has all the elements of a fantastic Insomnium tune, pacy heavy yet beautiful in so many ways, so much so it could probably slip into their most complete album to date, Above The Weeping World (2006) The screams and growls are all perfectly timed and punched though the mix by the pounding percussion. Even the interlude/bridge whatever you want to call it is just as strong as the rest o the song which is a failing of so many melodic death metal bands.

Weather the Storm featuring Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquility (2011)

The three acoustic tracks that follow Ephemeral are undeniably quality pieces and can be listened to as one track with three parts, but surely unnecessary considering the amount of acoustic interludes and tracks across all the Insomnium catalogue. They are worth a listen nonetheless. This EP serves as a window to the highs and lows, emotionally speaking we can come to expect in 2014 from this remarkable band.

Moonsorrow - Tulimyrsky EP Review (from 2009)

Originally posted on Blistering.com, 2009.

Tulimyrsky from Finnish band Moonsorrow is an EP with only one track of new material and in the style of the last full-length is longer - around the half hour mark. This song is (as most of the other material) written in Finnish and has several ‘stages’ separated by interludes of Finnish narration.

We need to question how well this works, in comparison to the might of the five full lengths that have preceded it, form Suden Uni (2001) to V: Hävitetty (2007), however after the initial narration, the title track starts off with the closest to black metal sounding material they have produced since the demo days.

A really bold move and a perfectly executed one, with the vehement opener. After the final narration and chant section followed by a little ending to what could be a 50’s epic movie based on Biblical times, the listener will feel a sense of victory and elation and 29 minutes will have seemed like a snap. 

Now what else do you get? ‘Tulimyrsky’ is track one of 5 I hear you bellow. Well fair maidens and noble men, what lies after the first track are two covers and two revamps of demo age songs. ‘Taistelu Pohjolasta’ and ‘Hvergelmir’ are from the Tämä Ikuinen Talvi (1999) and Metsä (1997) demos respectively.

So the Metallica cover? ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’? Recorded in 2005 around the time of Verisäkeet, it’s a bit like Metallica meets Hall of the Mountain King. Exaggerating the riffs that make more sense played in Moonsorrow style and with layers of keyboard coupled with the Sorvali cousins’ mighty wails it is quite a transformation.

More black metal for your dollar than you bargained for due to the inclusion of the rerecorded demo songs, Tulimyrsky really is a “firestorm” and not just a filler before the 6th chapter in the history of this great band is told. There really are far too many quality riffs for this to be dismissed as a stepping stone, in-between material, or quick cash in. All in all a fantastic little adventure.

Terror - Live By The Code

LA's Terror may not have been around as long as scene legends Sick of it All, but through consistency, hard work and quality album after quality album, they deserve all the attention and success they receive. I can safely say I have not heard a bad Terror song. Admittedly there are highlights on each album, but no songs are worth skipping altogether.

The only thing I can't click with is the use of American high school football style font for the band logo, and the use of imagery and fonts that would be more suited to a gangsta rap group. Maybe it is inevitable considering their upbringing and locale, but I think it sends mixed messages and clashes with the virtues of the genre. The ideas of giving the middle finger to authorities, corrupt business people and governments are shared, but you don't hear Terror boasting about drug use, bitches and drive-by shootings.

The band's albums have always been personal, honest and open, and this is no different. The opener 'The Most High' is a great nostalgic and inspiring look at the scene that Scott Vogel fell in love with back in the late 80's. The booklet accompanying the record is full of intelligent debate about the scene what it was and how it has changed and continues this theme of transparent hardcore music and ethos.

The production is perfect for hardcore, a little bit muddy and raw. This is how hardcore should sound, not polished and perfect. When the songs are as strong as 'Live By The Code', 'The Good Die Young' and 'Shot of Reality', any minor quibbles go straight out the window.

Heavy Metal Kitten Covers!

Apart from the retarded argument about what bands are 'Heavy Metal' in the comments section, this is genius!

Carcass - Surgical Steel and 3 Reasons Not to Get Over Excited About It

This CD has been in my car stereo since the day that my pre-ordered shiny digipack copy of Surgical Steel arrived. Every errand, every commute to work, every drive to the shops it has been on. Shuffled tracks too, so from the openings of the mainly pointless intro '1985' to the official ending of the track with the more progressive 'Mount of Extinction' these songs have haunted me near enough constantly.

I may only be in my car a fraction of the time but I find my self humming a particular riff or remembering a particular hook and the feeling is like a relentless Carcass experience. Not a bad thing most metalheads would argue. The time from release to review here is substantial, and has made clear that there might be three reasons why I or any other reviewer worth their salt could be biased and totally lodge tongues in arses.

Number one: Fan-boy syndrome. I am a Carcass fan-boy yes, I heard 'Corporal Jigsore Quandary' back when I was a long-haired responsibility-shunning youngster and that was it for me. Completely sold, the combination of nasty sounding Death Metal, Jeff Walker's poisonous vocals and the sheer weight of the groovy main riff on that one song alone were enough. However the length of time (about 3 months) has had me question the album over and over again. The media had reacted very strongly in a positive way and this made me nervous, hoping the fatal fan-boy (or girl) syndrome hadn't become an epidemic.

Number two: The fact that this is the first album in 16 YEARS. Ever since the reunion shows from about 2008, two of which I was lucky to see, there has been a buzz about the band. A faint hope that on the strength of these performances and the crowd's overwhelming reactions that there might be new material on the horizon. Then earlier this year the news dropped like a bomb, new Carcass album coming this Summer on Nuclear Bast! Then the track 'Captive Bolt Pistol' acted like a 'single' and became available for streaming as a taster for Surgical Steel. It was extremely exciting, and you can easily imagine many foolhardy reviewers experiencing the journalistic equivalent of premature ejaculation, and giving 'Instant classic', 5 out of 5, album of the month and so on. (You can't have an instant classic – it needs to stand the test of time first surely?)

Third and Final Reason: The new material doesn't suck. That is relief enough to those who have vested time, money, blood, sweat and tears over the years into being a die hard Carcass fan. It would easily be enough to trigger a rushed review and slapped on gold star, but I have resisted temptation. Terrorizer magazine here in the UK released the track 'Unfit for Human Consumption' on a recent Fear Candy CD, and I was so close to letting it all slide. Dignity, integrity and my pure unbiased nature nearly went out the window. It was such a fast, blood-pumping song with amazing clear powerful and melodic leads, the lure was mighty powerful.

After all that, these reasons dissipate. After 3 months a new singular reason emerges to get over-excited about this album. Because its freaking amazing!! It sounds like a Carcass greatest hits but remixed to current standards of production. Occasionally a riff will sound like it would belong on either Heartwork or Necroticism, but there are so many new ideas on here, its more like an amalgamation of the two dragged though a portal to the present day. There is a melding of the two best (I know still up for debate) albums here. Raw, intricate, obtuse but groovy death metal fused with super-slick pulse-pounding melodic metal and it works extremely well.

Many will notice the absence of Michael Amott on this latest album, but as it stands he is not an integral part of this band, the duo of Steer and Walker remain strong and focused enough to write some incredibly infectious material. The appointment of drummer Dan Wilding seems to be a perfect fit. The tightness is most profound on songs like 'The Master Butcher's Apron' with its mighty meaty breakdown after a whirlwind of riffs and blasts from the outset.

A resurrected British metal institution is back firing on all cylinders and with deadly surgical precision, and it just feels great. So many have said how bands like Impaled and Exhumed are what Carcass would sound like today, had they not split. Now they wish they sounded like Carcass, back from the dead! Here's to another great album in an already spectacular line up.

Stripping Down The FIFA 14 Demo - What's In Store?

There are the FIFA fiends, like myself, that will buy this game each year no matter what. This is because the balance between good game-play and the official license with all the up to date players and kits is usually acceptable enough to warrant this annual upgrade. One main problem I have found over the years is that the career mode has never been tweaked to perfection, it all just seems a bit unrealistic (I know its just a game dammit!) when it comes to the financial side of things, and the growth and development of young players.

Notice they have brushed out Gareth Bale from the original artwork...

Another annoying part of career mode – with the fictional youth players that you and other teams scout in the game are all randomly generated which is fair enough. They are given a random body and face, so why the fuck can't their face appear on the player ratings screen like the IRL players do huh? Very irritating. So what about the latest instalment? Slick. Slick is the first thing that comes to mind, a new menu layout with large pictures as the buttons making up each main menu screen, nice stats and visuals when navigating the pause screen. The font they have used for this game is perfect for a sporty interface.

The players are affected by bodyweight, balance and momentum more in this game. The physics involved with ball control and trying to protect the ball or dispossess another player are a lot more realistic. Headers in this game also seem to be more responsive to the direction you push on this stick, rather than FIFA 13 making it incredibly frustrating to score a headed goal when you are certain you have nailed it. I remember when the cross or corner was a beauty and you pointed to the part of the net you wanted to annihilate and it just goes begging, usually over the bar. It is more realistic this time, I mean you cant just head in any old pass or cross your player has to time it right and be balanced and facing the right direction. When its all in place though it feels smooth and natural to whack it in with your bonce.

The commentary is a bit more inspired this time around. Talking about famous events and football history, players back stories is all well and good but is it going to make you want to punch a hole in the screen if you hear the Mancini and Man City fans letters story for the millionth time? The fun and rewarding training mini-games from FIFA 13 are back too, but all slightly different this time. The same categories are all back (shooting, dribbling, free kicks, penalties, crosses etc.) but each one is a new challenge which gives the game another addictive element. Whoever thought of putting these games randomly generating while your game is loading is a freaking genius! The opportunity to fine tune your skills while you wait is such a good idea.

Its a shame the release of this game will be overshadowed by the gargantuan almighty release of Grand Theft Auto V, because they have put in a real effort this year. Only time will tell how the career mode and other game play modes will turn out. It would be a bastard kick in the nuts if they made it look so shiny and play so smoothly to go and spaff it all up the wall when it comes to replay value. So an addict getting their fix, an occasional football game participator, or a complete newbie may all get something out of FIFA 14 if the demo is anything to go by.

Vreid - Welcome Farewell Review

A thoughtful and engaging romp brought to you by the visions of former Windir members, Hváll, Steingrim, Sture Dingsøyr and Strom. A band who definitely deserve more attention than they currently enjoy, Norwegian black metal veterans Vreid are slowly but surely adding to their catalogue of great albums, and the latest Welcome Farewell is no different.

As well as sharing the Indie Recordings label connection, Vreid have a lot in common with Enslaved. They use black metal as the basis of the tone and sound of the music, but as a whole it is so much more. One of the first thoughts that popped into my head as I gave the CD its first spin was “This is how you would want a modern Satyricon to sound”, strangely enough their Norwegian brethren are currently releasing (as of September 2013) a new album via Indie Recordings.

Second track 'The Way Of The Serpent' has an attention grabbing “chorus” in the loosest sense of the word as it contains the title of the track but is not reprised at any time throughout the duration. The serpentine 'Sights of Old' uncoils with a menacing riff and fast paced attack, and then gradually and majestically evens out to a haunting drone of chords at the end.

Let's just hope the guy who posted “Heh, WHERE'D THE METAL GO?? This sucks.” on the YouTube page for 'The Reap' has his comeuppance. He is probably one of the twitching retards that cannot accept metal unless its at 100mph or contains 10-megaton breakdowns. Shame he can't realise the art of metal can flow with this intense speed and sometimes it's most shining moments as a genre are the ones of restraint.

One problem throughout is that the rhythm section, it does rattle and grate and some times sounds a bit like a demented Didgeridoo. It may not be as spellbinding as the majority of Windir's previous works, a but Welcome Farewell is a cracking album. It covers more ground in terms of different ideas and progressions that an average Windir album would, take the title track for instance, still maintaining its punch it manages to go from saccharine licks, quiet and quirky acoustic parts back to rumbling mid-paced groove again with an ease and confidence that must flow through these guys veins. It strikes a balance between big bold production and a raw, gravelly sound to make a very ambitious yet honest and realised record.

Pelican's First Album Available For Name Your Price On Bandcamp

The amazing, epic and beautiful debut full-length Australasia is available for free. Pelican are celebrating a milestone by offering this baby for Name Your Price, but we don't know for how long so quit loitering my blog and go geddit!!! 

Impaled - The Last Gasp Review

Originally posted on Blistering.com circa 2008.

Imagine putting Symphonies of Sickness, Necroticism and Heartwork by Carcass into a car crusher together and that sound is Impaled. Having a lot to live up to since the excellent Death After Life (2005), the Californians have managed to use these influences with a sprinkle of Slaughter of the Soul to create something dangerous and alive. This recipe has spawned a groove-ridden goretastic riff-fest that uses its Carcass influences well to create something altogether original.

Okay, step one. Banned artwork featuring blindfolded victim with entire collection internal organs piled up having being removed via the mouth. Check. Stage two? Military/medical aesthetics. Check. Stage three. Song titles including gory puns on everyday phrases? See “Sickness is Health” “Torture of Duty” and “All Gut, No Glory” (the latter of which has an unbelievably awesome down tempo gore-groove). Stage four? Sickness, epidemic, gory results and military medical experiments. Check!

The duration of this album has lots of gruesome leads, heavy chugging and appropriate blasting make a salacious concoction. Some of the grind has been replaced with thrashier riffs and some bluesy licks a la Amott’s work on Heartwork. It is a true show of stamina resolve and ingenuity that Impaled have made four heavily Carcass influenced albums and keeping each one independent and robust.

The Last Gasp strikes gold with every track, equalling the achievements of last album, 2005’s Death After Life. Each and every song bores its way into your head and they will refuse to leave. Impaled have just reiterated why their discography is so highly revered, and if you want my advice, try to catch them on tour with Origin in the U.K. for an unmissable show. (Tom – only applies now if you have a time machine!)

Cult of Luna - Eternal Kingdom Review From 2008

I am lucky to have such a back catalogue to post on here when I'm busy writing new reviews. Here's a review from 2008, originally posted on Blistering.com.

Cult of Luna’s The Beyond along with Isis’s Oceanic and Pelican’s Australasia, all broke ground in the sludge ridden world of drone influenced post-metal and remain beacons of creativity in the field. The success of each entity has varied over the past half-decade; some have prospered and all have released albums that have been hit hard under the all-seeing eye of the critic.

The omnipresent label gurus maintain that Cult of Luna have evolved into a different being, somewhat more art rock than post hardcore, but the lumbering beast that was Cult of Luna is still here and heavy as ever. Also the band are reputed to have linked all the songs on this album in an underlying concept to create a more coherent output than before. If they weren't doing this previously then it must have been blind luck - the band must have stumbled on high calibre collections of songs which flow and merge together perfectly completely by accident.

Argument aside, the concept for this album makes for most interesting reading. Supposedly based on the diary of a mental patient named Holger Nilsson who murdered his wife and in his head had created a completely surreal world in which the murder was carried out by a horrible monster. Musically this translates to surrounding melancholy and emotional release but also has some truly beautiful moments where the clouds are parted and through the gloom the warm light is allowed to reveal its glory, like during the masterpiece “Ghost Trail”.

The introduction to the tale, “Owlwood” holds a celestial element, giving the music almost zero self-awareness; like a newborn exploring its environment, cautiously testing and probing and asking questions of the sky. Each other song as it unfolds has something special, but at times the attempted accumulation of atmosphere is a little hard to swallow.

Reading like their own diary of reaction to the story of Nilsson and his trauma, Eternal Kingdom is a well thought out and rewarding album. Suitably bleak and equally monstrous this collection sways back and forth like the temperament of a mentally tortured soul with flair.

Pelican - Deny The Absolute Review

This new EP is available on 7” vinyl and via iTunes which has the video for 'Lathe Biosas' from the Ataraxia/Taraxis EP as well as 'The Creeper', 'Strung Up From The Sky' and 'Ephemeral' from What we all Come To Need. The announcement of the retirement of Laurent Schroeder-Lebec from the band although amicable was shocking news indeed, but it has not halted the progress in terms of both output and integrity of this mind-blowing band.

Lets get to the new stuff first. If the new album Forever Becoming due on October 15^th on Southern Lord is anywhere as solid as the teaser track 'Deny The Absolute' then we are all in for another flooring as the riff merchants that are Pelican are going to do the business again. Sounding nothing like any of their albums before there is a steady trajectory towards the stars and promise of discovering newly inspired songs but still brandishing that same Pelican punch.

It is decidedly bombastic, and yet delicate too in its melodic wanderings. The song is mid paced throughout and has different melancholic parts leading up to plenty of uplifting groove. Everything about this song is seamless right down to the sultry production and they really do make it look easy.

The video for 'Lathe Bioas' which originally appeared on last year's Ataraxia/Taraxis (which was a little more subdued and further from the traditional Pelican path) is mostly nonsensical arty images, but the band footage gives you an idea of the raw energy on tap here.

If you are a fan of the band, quit reading this and go listen! 

'Free' Album Download From Rosetta

The latest album The Anaesthete from American band Rosetta is available for a free download at their bandcamp page.

Of course this is a Name Your Price scenario so in theory this album could bankrupt you! Well expect a review here soon...