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!