Six-piece Australian progressive melo-death band Ne Obliviscaris is one of the latest metal acts to hit a home run with crowdfunding, raising nearly $90,000 with the campaign for their latest album Citadel. Even though the finished product isn't due out until November on the always respectable Season of Mist, just this past week the guys quit teasing and released the first full track from the record.
"Painters of the Tempest, Part 2, Movement 3: Curator" is certainly a mouthful to say, and considering that it's only one part of an epic that spans more than twenty minutes, it certainly sounds a bit lofty too, a bit highbrow. But Ne Obliviscaris doesn't disappoint, delivering a finely-crafted piece of progressive death metal that includes some big melodies, and even some strings, without veering too far over the line of good taste into the realm of cheese.
I have a feeling this album might garner some more buzz closer to its release in November, so get in on the ground floor and impress your friends by hearing something before they do. You know you want to!
Sunday, 7 September 2014
Saturday, 6 September 2014
Intervals - Automaton
Playthrough videos have been the order of the day in heavy music for a while now, and that suits me just fine. As someone who plays guitar, and wishes they had the coordination to play drums, I enjoy being able to see a song actually played on an instrument, from start to finish. This is especially true of songs by bands I've never seen in concert, or likely will never see.
There's just something about being able to watch and say, "so that's what he's doing there!" And as I said above, not being able to play the drums myself just makes a good drum playthrough video that much more impressive for me personally.
So when the stars align and the Venn diagram circles of "good song" and "good playthrough" overlap, who am I to deny the will of the gods and forgo making such a song your Song of the Day. That's why tonight you're getting "Automaton" from A Voice Within, the latest from Canadian former instrumental act Intervals. Drummer Anup Sastry has put out a lot of good playthroughs, and this one's no exception.
There's just something about being able to watch and say, "so that's what he's doing there!" And as I said above, not being able to play the drums myself just makes a good drum playthrough video that much more impressive for me personally.
So when the stars align and the Venn diagram circles of "good song" and "good playthrough" overlap, who am I to deny the will of the gods and forgo making such a song your Song of the Day. That's why tonight you're getting "Automaton" from A Voice Within, the latest from Canadian former instrumental act Intervals. Drummer Anup Sastry has put out a lot of good playthroughs, and this one's no exception.
Thursday, 4 September 2014
Thursday: Bispora - The Expedition
Fuck you and your "Throwback Thursdays", today's Techback Thursday, bitches!
Tonight's flavour of techyness is the prog-influenced, electro-weirdness-tinged experimental death metal of California's Bispora. If that sounds like an uninformative description, try this: think Between the Buried and Me, skewed a little less death metal and a little more straight-ahead prog strangeness (if that makes any sense) and perhaps you'll be closer the mark.
But even if you're still lost, don't let that stop you from checking Bispora out. Their debut LP, The Pineal Chronicles Phase I: Furtherance, is all kinds of wacky goodness. Start at the start with album opener "The Expedition" and trek onward from there.
Tonight's flavour of techyness is the prog-influenced, electro-weirdness-tinged experimental death metal of California's Bispora. If that sounds like an uninformative description, try this: think Between the Buried and Me, skewed a little less death metal and a little more straight-ahead prog strangeness (if that makes any sense) and perhaps you'll be closer the mark.
But even if you're still lost, don't let that stop you from checking Bispora out. Their debut LP, The Pineal Chronicles Phase I: Furtherance, is all kinds of wacky goodness. Start at the start with album opener "The Expedition" and trek onward from there.
Album of the Week: Closure in Moscow - Pink Lemonade
I'm fairly certain that if you've gotten this far with me, you've got a relatively open musical mind. If I'm correct in that conclusion, then this week's album will hopefully be right up your alley.
I've written about Australia post-hardcore-meets-prog band Closure in Moscow several times in the past, featuring songs from their last couple of albums. Their latest, Pink Lemonade, presents something of a challenge to their established fanbase.
You see, the first two Closure in Moscow albums were, like I said, post-hardcore-ish affairs, tinged with whiffs of other, proggier stuff that elevated them above mere post-hardcore-ism. First Temple, especially, is a great album no matter what genre label you want to put on it. But with Pink Lemonade the boys went full space-prog funk-pop and crafted something fans might not necessarily have expected -- or wanted -- as a follow-up to First Temple.
But fear not. If you've got the kind of open musical mind I was talking about up top, there's every chance you'll be happy as a clam with Pink Lemonade, another kick-ass Closure in Moscow record now matter how you genre-fy it, and sure to end up on at least a couple year end best of lists. Spin it and see what you think.
I've written about Australia post-hardcore-meets-prog band Closure in Moscow several times in the past, featuring songs from their last couple of albums. Their latest, Pink Lemonade, presents something of a challenge to their established fanbase.
You see, the first two Closure in Moscow albums were, like I said, post-hardcore-ish affairs, tinged with whiffs of other, proggier stuff that elevated them above mere post-hardcore-ism. First Temple, especially, is a great album no matter what genre label you want to put on it. But with Pink Lemonade the boys went full space-prog funk-pop and crafted something fans might not necessarily have expected -- or wanted -- as a follow-up to First Temple.
But fear not. If you've got the kind of open musical mind I was talking about up top, there's every chance you'll be happy as a clam with Pink Lemonade, another kick-ass Closure in Moscow record now matter how you genre-fy it, and sure to end up on at least a couple year end best of lists. Spin it and see what you think.
Wednesday: Exotic Animal Petting Zoo - Kasper Hauser Could See the Stars in Daytime
Things seem to have been pretty quiet lately in camp Exotic Animal Petting Zoo. Checking them out on Facebook reveals that their last major round of touring was last year, with few posts since then, which I'm hoping means new material. Fingers crossed!
I only discovered Exotic Animal Petting zoo a couple of years ago, upon the release of the more recent album Tree of Tongues, but these guys have quickly become one of my favourite currently active bands. I always forget how awesome their energy is whenever I go a while without listening to them, but get me about ten seconds into Tree of Tongues' opening track "Pharmakokinetic" and I'm hooked all over again.
So now let's try and get you on the Exotic Animal Petting Zoo bandwagon too. I've written about them a couple of times before, and as such I've featured a few of my favourite EAZP songs already. But no journey through their catalogue would be complete without hearing "Kasper Hauser Could See the Stars in Daytime" (bonus: it's live at Audiotree!). So stay a while, and listen.
I only discovered Exotic Animal Petting zoo a couple of years ago, upon the release of the more recent album Tree of Tongues, but these guys have quickly become one of my favourite currently active bands. I always forget how awesome their energy is whenever I go a while without listening to them, but get me about ten seconds into Tree of Tongues' opening track "Pharmakokinetic" and I'm hooked all over again.
So now let's try and get you on the Exotic Animal Petting Zoo bandwagon too. I've written about them a couple of times before, and as such I've featured a few of my favourite EAZP songs already. But no journey through their catalogue would be complete without hearing "Kasper Hauser Could See the Stars in Daytime" (bonus: it's live at Audiotree!). So stay a while, and listen.
Wednesday, 3 September 2014
Tuesday: The Haunted - Cutting Teeth
It seems like 2014 is the year of venerable Swedish metal bands getting back in the saddle and putting out new material. New In Flames, new At the Gates, and new these guys too.
"Cutting Teeth" is the first true/full track from Exit Wounds, the latest from Gothenburg's The Haunted, and it's a fast-paced, thrashy little number with an old-school feel. The whole record is similarly aggressive, but I think "Cutting Teeth" is a good place to start. It's not going to wow you with its originality or innovation, but it will make you bang your head.
"Cutting Teeth" is the first true/full track from Exit Wounds, the latest from Gothenburg's The Haunted, and it's a fast-paced, thrashy little number with an old-school feel. The whole record is similarly aggressive, but I think "Cutting Teeth" is a good place to start. It's not going to wow you with its originality or innovation, but it will make you bang your head.
Monday, 1 September 2014
Yob - In Our Blood
It's a long weekend (here in Canada at least) so I figure you've perhaps got a bit more time for today's song than you normally might. I certainly hope that you do, because you're going to need a healthy chunk of it to fully appreciate today's song.
Oregonian doom dealers Yob have a new record out, and while doom and gloom isn't usually my thing the positive buzz I'm seeing about this one compelled me to have a listen for myself. The conclusion I've reached is that recently released Clearing the Path to Ascend is all about sloooww buurrrns (all four of the album's tracks clock in at more than ten minutes long) but there are indeed some tasty rewards to be had for sticking it out through the building phase.
Album opener "In Our Blood" is a perfect example. Much of its near seventeen minute running time is spent on what I would call simmer, which is all well and good, but a couple of times Yob's pot boils over and when it does, it's some good, good stuff. Give it a go and see if it's the kind of thing you've got time for.
Oregonian doom dealers Yob have a new record out, and while doom and gloom isn't usually my thing the positive buzz I'm seeing about this one compelled me to have a listen for myself. The conclusion I've reached is that recently released Clearing the Path to Ascend is all about sloooww buurrrns (all four of the album's tracks clock in at more than ten minutes long) but there are indeed some tasty rewards to be had for sticking it out through the building phase.
Album opener "In Our Blood" is a perfect example. Much of its near seventeen minute running time is spent on what I would call simmer, which is all well and good, but a couple of times Yob's pot boils over and when it does, it's some good, good stuff. Give it a go and see if it's the kind of thing you've got time for.
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