I've just been reading about Callisto on Heavyblogisheavy, and I'm intrigued enough by their suggestion of the song "Stasis" that I'm going to pass that recommendation along to you. Read on if you're post-metal fan.
"Stasis", and the album Providence from which it comes, reminds me a little of The Ocean, or even Baroness, in terms of the qualities of its heaviness: large doses of melody, often a little melancholy, with veins of sludgy rough edges sewn throughout. It's a balance that makes the seven-and-a-half minutes of a song like "Stasis" fly by in short order. I haven't yet gone back through Callisto's catalogue as Eden over at Heavyblog encourages, but I've definitely got something new to chew on. Why don't you chew too?
Thursday, 31 July 2014
Wednesday, 30 July 2014
Wovenwar - Profane
I've chosen today's song almost despite myself. Although I was a pretty big As I Lay Dying fan for their first several albums, my interest waned with their last couple, and I've followed the whole Tim Lambesis thing and the subsequent resurrection of AILD-sans-Tim as Wovenwar with only a little more than passing interest.
When the band first started teasing the new material, I was just kinda "meh" about it. Ditto for when the first song came out, a track called "All Rise", if I recall correctly. But for some reason the latest track to make the internet rounds, "Profane", is grabbing me a little bit more.
Sure, it's not really anything new -- the riffing could be As I Lay Dying stuff as easily as Wovenwar -- but its straight-forward heaviness still merits some head-bangery. "Profane", out next week on the band's self-titled debut Wovenwar, is "radio heavy", but in a good way.
When the band first started teasing the new material, I was just kinda "meh" about it. Ditto for when the first song came out, a track called "All Rise", if I recall correctly. But for some reason the latest track to make the internet rounds, "Profane", is grabbing me a little bit more.
Sure, it's not really anything new -- the riffing could be As I Lay Dying stuff as easily as Wovenwar -- but its straight-forward heaviness still merits some head-bangery. "Profane", out next week on the band's self-titled debut Wovenwar, is "radio heavy", but in a good way.
Tuesday, 29 July 2014
Album of the Week - The Ocean - Pelagial
When I'm picking an Album of the Week, I'm usually trying to pick something people might now know about. I know I've done lots of albums that lots of people know, but hopefully at least a few things have been new to at least a few of you, ideally not all the same things to the same people, if you follow me.
But another consideration that's always on my mind is the possibility of choosing an album specifically for the LP format, specifically because it works best as a single collection of music best experienced end to end in a single sitting. I hope I've also provided you with a few of these, too. Today, my aim is to cover both of these bases.
The Ocean is certainly familiar to some of you, but I'm willing to bet there's lots of fans even of metal that don't really know these guys, which is practically a crime. Their brand of proggy post-metal is big and riffy, melodic and heavy, tastefully intricate. And other adjectives.
Their last couple of albums have had conceptual threads at their cores, but your homework assignment this week, last year's Pelagial, boasts the structure of a descent through the various layers of the ocean's depths, with the mood and instrumentation shifting to match the "depth" of each track.
There are some stand-out tracks, several of which have previously been Songs of the Day, but owing both to its watery concept and to its high overall level of musicianship and interconnectedness present throughout the entire album I'm recommending you give Pelagial a couple of full playthroughs this week. And, as an added bonus, you've got a choice to make: album with vocals, or without? Why not both!
But another consideration that's always on my mind is the possibility of choosing an album specifically for the LP format, specifically because it works best as a single collection of music best experienced end to end in a single sitting. I hope I've also provided you with a few of these, too. Today, my aim is to cover both of these bases.
The Ocean is certainly familiar to some of you, but I'm willing to bet there's lots of fans even of metal that don't really know these guys, which is practically a crime. Their brand of proggy post-metal is big and riffy, melodic and heavy, tastefully intricate. And other adjectives.
Their last couple of albums have had conceptual threads at their cores, but your homework assignment this week, last year's Pelagial, boasts the structure of a descent through the various layers of the ocean's depths, with the mood and instrumentation shifting to match the "depth" of each track.
There are some stand-out tracks, several of which have previously been Songs of the Day, but owing both to its watery concept and to its high overall level of musicianship and interconnectedness present throughout the entire album I'm recommending you give Pelagial a couple of full playthroughs this week. And, as an added bonus, you've got a choice to make: album with vocals, or without? Why not both!
The Isoceles Project - Oblivion's Candle
I know there's great metal and heavy music to be had the world over. More than I ever was before I started this blog, I'm acutely aware that, especially in this internet age, your next favourite band could come from virtually anywhere. But that doesn't mean that I'm any less delighted when I find out that somebody cool is from right here in the Great White North.
Today's band is no exception. The Isosceles Project is a post-whatever instrumental trio from Toronto that succeeds at the challenge of keeping the listener interested despite the lack of vocals. Your song this evening, the title track from their 2012 EP Oblivion's Candle, is a perfect example of their chops. A lot of ground is covered in the near-thirteen minute running time of "Oblivion's Candle", including a couple of stylistic shifts, but it's a meandering journey that's never boring. Have a listen and see what you think.
Today's band is no exception. The Isosceles Project is a post-whatever instrumental trio from Toronto that succeeds at the challenge of keeping the listener interested despite the lack of vocals. Your song this evening, the title track from their 2012 EP Oblivion's Candle, is a perfect example of their chops. A lot of ground is covered in the near-thirteen minute running time of "Oblivion's Candle", including a couple of stylistic shifts, but it's a meandering journey that's never boring. Have a listen and see what you think.
Monday, 28 July 2014
Beyond Creation - Elusive Reverence
It's the start of another week, which means you could probably use something a little heavy to get you back into the swing of the grind. How about some proggy death metal from Montreal that's in the vein of Death and Cynic? Yeah, I thought you might like that.
Beyond Creation are getting set to unleash their sophomore record Earthborn Evolution in October via Season of Mist, but you won't have to wait until then to sample the proggy wares on offer here, as the band has recently released the first track from the upcoming album.
"Elusive Reverence" a terrific general example of techy progressive death metal done right, but especially noteworthy is the fretless basswork of one Dominic Forest Lapointe, whose playing will no doubt cause you to become familiar with his name if you're not already. His musicianship, and that of the rest of the band, is top notch without being unnecessarily over the top. There's no waste or wankery here, and one listen to "Elusive Reverence" should be enough to convince you of that.
Beyond Creation are getting set to unleash their sophomore record Earthborn Evolution in October via Season of Mist, but you won't have to wait until then to sample the proggy wares on offer here, as the band has recently released the first track from the upcoming album.
"Elusive Reverence" a terrific general example of techy progressive death metal done right, but especially noteworthy is the fretless basswork of one Dominic Forest Lapointe, whose playing will no doubt cause you to become familiar with his name if you're not already. His musicianship, and that of the rest of the band, is top notch without being unnecessarily over the top. There's no waste or wankery here, and one listen to "Elusive Reverence" should be enough to convince you of that.
Sunday, 27 July 2014
Sunday: Nine Inch Nails - Piggy
Almost caught up on the catching up, and as promised your finale this evening is a Nine Inch Nails classic to celebrate the nostalgiarific Nails/Soundgarden tour stop in Toronto tonight. This one's for you, Mike. Wish I could be there.
My first real introduction to Nine Inch Nails (other than maybe hearing "Head Like a Hole" or something else from Pretty Hate Machine) was the classic The Downward Spiral in high school, and one of the songs that always really stuck with me was "Piggy". I don't know if it's just because it's one of the first tracks on the album and thus got into my brain early, but any way you slice it to this day "Piggy" is still one of my favourites. Maybe they'll play it tonight? Fingers crossed.
My first real introduction to Nine Inch Nails (other than maybe hearing "Head Like a Hole" or something else from Pretty Hate Machine) was the classic The Downward Spiral in high school, and one of the songs that always really stuck with me was "Piggy". I don't know if it's just because it's one of the first tracks on the album and thus got into my brain early, but any way you slice it to this day "Piggy" is still one of my favourites. Maybe they'll play it tonight? Fingers crossed.
Saturday: Soundgarden - Loud Love
Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden are playing on the same bill in Toronto tonight, and even though I'm not going, an old friend from high school who now happens to live in the city is. My jealousy has inspired to me live vicariously through him a little bit and them the final two posts of your weekend catch-up to suit the occasion.
I'm not completely sure if the show is supposed to be a double-headliner kind of deal or whether one act is opening for the other, but in my head it feels like Soundgarden should be opening for the Nails (if only based on the band's careers lately) so we're going to do a Soundgarden song for yesterday leading into a NIN song for today. Sound like a plan?
For your Soundgarden opener, I'm going with one of the first Soundgarden songs I ever learned to play on guitar, and my first introduction to the band's deep catalogue. Like everyone else, teenage me was familiar with Superunknown, and to a lesser extent Badmotorfinger, but learning "Loud Love" on guitar turned me on to just how good 1990's Louder Than Love is. I hope that listening to "Loud Love" this evening will do the same for you.
I'm not completely sure if the show is supposed to be a double-headliner kind of deal or whether one act is opening for the other, but in my head it feels like Soundgarden should be opening for the Nails (if only based on the band's careers lately) so we're going to do a Soundgarden song for yesterday leading into a NIN song for today. Sound like a plan?
For your Soundgarden opener, I'm going with one of the first Soundgarden songs I ever learned to play on guitar, and my first introduction to the band's deep catalogue. Like everyone else, teenage me was familiar with Superunknown, and to a lesser extent Badmotorfinger, but learning "Loud Love" on guitar turned me on to just how good 1990's Louder Than Love is. I hope that listening to "Loud Love" this evening will do the same for you.
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