Saturday the 13th (of February): Visions - Delete the Sky

     The vagaries of fate, combined with my own procrastinatory predilections, make my catching up on Songs of the Day for you guys seem next to impossible. But am I going to let that stop me from fighting the good fight, from raging against the dying of the proverbial light? Fuck no. The struggle to overcome impossible odds is what makes any hero's journey compelling in the first place, so when the odds around here get impossible, my only real option is to get awesome. Eat your heart out, Joseph Campbell.

     First up in my quest for new Loud Noises material is a song from a band that's on a quest for new material of its own (fuck off, it's either really late or really early at the time of writing, depending on how you slice it). British techcore types Visions have, if Facebook be trusted, finally finished their second LP, and are apparently preparing a new video to coincide with the announcement or release or what have you.We still haven't heard any of this new material, however, so while we await that first single and accompanying video, we'll just have to revisit 2011's Home for something to hold us over.

     To that end, have a go at "Delete the Sky", a slice of techy, angular metalcore that gives way to sparse ambience at its end as a lead-in to the following track on Home. If you're a metalcore fan like me, I think you'll find this record has held up pretty well, and hopefully serves as a decent appetizer for the new meal to come. (The link you're getting is to the album audio, not the music video, since the video understandably cuts out the ending interstitial stuff.)

Monday: Rosetta - Untitled V

     I recently posted about British band Visions, mentioning that they're in the midst of prepping new material for recording in the fall. Another band with upcoming new material to watch out for, and one whose new stuff is much closer to hand, is Philadelphia post-metal act Rosetta.

     Rosetta's last outing, 2013's The Anaesthete, garnered a great deal of both attention and praise, so their forthcoming Quintessential Ephemera will definitely be turning some heads on principle alone. The strength of your Monday song, the first we're hearing from the upcoming disc, should turn a few more.

     "Untitled V" is predictably Rosetta, in the best possible ways: dense, big, and heavy. This is a case of an evolution of sound rather than a revolution, but give what Rosetta was already laying down, that's not a bad situation to be in at all.

Friday: Visions - Autophobia

     Work continues on the upcoming sophomore disc from mathy British tech-core outfit Visions, who (according to Facebook) are looking to hit the studio in September. So while we're waiting for a follow-up to 2011's Home, let's check out another of its tracks to hold us over.

     Your Friday rager from Visions is "Autophobia", one of those showcase songs that encapsulates what a band or album is putting down. In this case, it's mathy metalcore with an emphasis on nimble riffing, and it reminds me a little of a somewhat more metal-oriented Dillinger or Every Time I Die. It's anybody's guess whether it'll be at all representative of new material, but for the time being it's a sweet sampling of what Home has to offer, so check it out if you don't know Visions already. Then hold your breath for September and fresh album news.

Visions - Korma

     British tech-core band Visions have had a lot of obstacles thrown at them in the last couple of years, including at least one line-up change and the collapse of their label Myriad Records, but perseverance is the name of the game for these underdogs.

     I've featured these guys a couple of times before, mounting troubles and all, and it's nice to be able to pick another one of their songs without the impetus being some drama or other. Perhaps the best part, though, is that the band has obligingly put out a new song, so I can recommend you check out their very latest.

     The song in question is called "Korma", and its got some big riffing and some big vocals. Since the band's drumming position is still vacant, they had a little help on this track from one Mike Malyan, whose name you could certainly be forgiven for being familiar with: Mike is not only the current skinsman for his fellow Brits in Monuments, he's also part-time live and touring beatmaster for French electro-metal project The Algorithm.

     Mike's confident style and overall chops are right at home in Visions, and while I have no idea whether A) this is a permanent line-up arrangement, or B) this track represents work on a new album, I will be so bold as to say that this particular collaboration results in a solid slice of aggressive energy. Think later-catalogue Finch done just a little more metal, and you'll be ready to have a go at "Korma".

Sunday Night Mega Post Fun Time

     This certainly does seem to be a shit time of year as far as my keeping on track with Loud Noises goes, doesn't it? But rather than spinning some yarns about the tag team of work life and personal life conspiring against me to prevent other shit getting done, let's just knuckle down and get caught up, shall we?

     First off, a song for Friday. We're going to go with something a little under the radar, a little less well-known perhaps than some of the stuff I post about, but something that's still tasty all the same. I've posted about British band Visions before, but their techy 2011 disc Home is too cool to only acknowledge just once. They've had a couple of hurdles thrown at them, including their current search for a new drummer, but I'm hoping that their chops and a little bit of perseverance and elbow grease can see them through. Check out "Machines" for some idea of the kind of chops I'm talking about.

     Next is Saturday. We're going deathier for Saturday with a track by one of my favourites, The Black Dahlia Murder. Sometimes, immediately after the release of a band's new record, you can't wait for their next album because the new one didn't impress, and sometimes you can't wait for that next album because this new one kicked so much ass you're still thirsty for more. The Black Dahlia Murder definitely fall into the latter category, and their last couple of records (Deflorate, Ritual, Everblack) have kicked ass and left me thinking "why couldn't this be a double album or something?" Listen to "Necropolis" from 2009's Deflorate and see if you get the same feeling.

     Finally, it's Sunday song time, and for today we're going with the spastic energy of Exotic Animal Petting Zoo. The song is "A) Translations" from the band's 2008 debut LP I Have Made My Bed in Darkness. They too leave me wanting more, even though their second LP Tree of Tongues only came out in 2012. Just like with Visions above, I hope line-up changes don't wreck Exotic Animal Petting Zoo's momentum.

Song of the (To)day: Visions - Attentive: Continuum

     So for today's actual song, I'm reverting to my original mandate and featuring something you might not have heard before, although if you follow the modern techy/core scene then you might know today's band after all. Ladies and gents, I give you Visions.