How did yesterday's epic Native Construct progathon treat you? If "The Spark of the Archon" was a test of your stamina, I've got some bad news for you: today's song also approaches saga-length. But maybe it's just ten minutes or so of funky prog-jazz that's not your thing. Maybe you'll do better with some slow-burn instrumental post-rock/metal/whatever?
Australia's Tangled Thoughts of Leaving are getting ready to release their latest album Yield to Despair in a couple of weeks, but you don't have to wait until the 17th of April for a taste... or a long, lingering chug, such as the case may be. The full ten minutes of album opener "The Albanian Sleepover: Part One" is currently streaming on Tangled Thoughts of Leaving's Bandcamp in all its vaguely melancholy glory.
It's a moody musical journey of build and release in the tradition of bands like favourite of mine Russian Circles, so if you've got another ten minutes to spare, I encourage you to strap on some headphones and take a trip. They won't all be this long from now on, I promise.
Tuesday, 31 March 2015
Monday, 30 March 2015
Native Construct - The Spark of the Archon
By this point you should all know that "proggy" and "jazzy" are two flavours I enjoy the taste of very much. Throw in "funky grooviness", and you've got the makings of a pretty epic meal. Seen in this light, today's marathon of proggy goodness from Boston's Native Construct is a multi-course smorgasboard.
"The Spark of the Archon", the first single from Native Construct's upcoming debut LP Quiet World, is nearly nine minutes of smoothly flowing ideas and instrumentation. The mostly "proggy", "jazzy" and "funky" grooves are further supplemented by some blast beaty flashes of metal and some orchestral flashes of cinematic grandiosity.
You shouldn't be bored at any point during the running time of "The Spark of the Archon" (especially since the guys in Native Construct have put out a guitar/bass playthrough video so you can watch the magic unfold) but things aren't ever disjointed enough that you find yourself lost and confused. You prog fans should get familiar with these guys before Quiet World drops, so get started right this minute.
"The Spark of the Archon", the first single from Native Construct's upcoming debut LP Quiet World, is nearly nine minutes of smoothly flowing ideas and instrumentation. The mostly "proggy", "jazzy" and "funky" grooves are further supplemented by some blast beaty flashes of metal and some orchestral flashes of cinematic grandiosity.
You shouldn't be bored at any point during the running time of "The Spark of the Archon" (especially since the guys in Native Construct have put out a guitar/bass playthrough video so you can watch the magic unfold) but things aren't ever disjointed enough that you find yourself lost and confused. You prog fans should get familiar with these guys before Quiet World drops, so get started right this minute.
Sunday, 29 March 2015
Sunday: Killswitch Engage - Loyalty
A few weeks ago I posted about the latest one-off from Mastodon, a new track called "White Walker" they cooked up for a Game of Thrones compilation album, of all things. It's actually a surprisingly good track (ie: not just a shitty cash-in), so I figure you might want to know if there's anything else cool on the second Catch the Throne mixtape.
And lo, there's at least one other Thrones-themed cut from this record that you might be interested in. Or not. Either way, bottom line, there's a new Killswitch Engage song for you to jam. Most of the songs off this Catch the Throne mixtape have a particular Game of Thrones-related subject, and Killswitch's "Loyalty" is focused on the southern kingdom of Dorne and its ruling House Martell.
If that kind of nerdiness means nothing to you, try this: "Loyalty" feels a little like it could have appeared on 2013's Disarm the Descent in terms of its balance of hookyness and heaviness. If you dug anything from Jesse's return to the band, check this one out, Game of Thrones fan or not.
And lo, there's at least one other Thrones-themed cut from this record that you might be interested in. Or not. Either way, bottom line, there's a new Killswitch Engage song for you to jam. Most of the songs off this Catch the Throne mixtape have a particular Game of Thrones-related subject, and Killswitch's "Loyalty" is focused on the southern kingdom of Dorne and its ruling House Martell.
If that kind of nerdiness means nothing to you, try this: "Loyalty" feels a little like it could have appeared on 2013's Disarm the Descent in terms of its balance of hookyness and heaviness. If you dug anything from Jesse's return to the band, check this one out, Game of Thrones fan or not.
Saturday: Secrets of the Sky - Three Swords
Not quite sure what kind of heavy you're in the mood for just now? I've got you covered, Saturday style, courtesy of California's Secrets of the Sky.
"Three Swords", the first track to be loosed from the band's upcoming Pathway, is just the kind of song to suit your indecisive palette. Slow burning and a little doomy for much of its first half, with a few sorta psychedelic sprinklings, "Three Swords" gets blacker and crustier and all around heavier towards its conclusion. It's eight minutes that flies by without ever overstaying its welcome.
If I had to make some band comparisons to give you an impression of Secrets of the Sky, I suppose I might say something like good Machine Head meets Opeth meets Cormorant, but really I'm as unsure what to call these guys as you are regarding what you're in the mood for just now. But why not just check out the song for yourself? Atta boy.
"Three Swords", the first track to be loosed from the band's upcoming Pathway, is just the kind of song to suit your indecisive palette. Slow burning and a little doomy for much of its first half, with a few sorta psychedelic sprinklings, "Three Swords" gets blacker and crustier and all around heavier towards its conclusion. It's eight minutes that flies by without ever overstaying its welcome.
If I had to make some band comparisons to give you an impression of Secrets of the Sky, I suppose I might say something like good Machine Head meets Opeth meets Cormorant, but really I'm as unsure what to call these guys as you are regarding what you're in the mood for just now. But why not just check out the song for yourself? Atta boy.
Saturday, 28 March 2015
Friday: Uneven Structure - Buds
I mentioned Uneven Structure's upcoming sophomore album La Partition in my 2015 Top Prospects post a while back, but it's only now, upon giving the band's debut disc Februus some more love over the last couple of days, that I fully appreciate the gravity of what we might be in store for.
In other words, I am now well and truly starting to get stoked for this one. And you should join me in this magical world of excitement. Now, I could probably recommend you check out virtually any song on Februus (or at least the first disc, since the second's mostly atmospheric instrumental soundscapes) and perhaps I will have done by the time La Partition comes out, but for today I'll have to be content to just pick one.
So grab your best buds, turn your shit up, and have a listen to "Buds" from 2011's Februus. Then join me in anticipating some new material from Uneven Structure.
In other words, I am now well and truly starting to get stoked for this one. And you should join me in this magical world of excitement. Now, I could probably recommend you check out virtually any song on Februus (or at least the first disc, since the second's mostly atmospheric instrumental soundscapes) and perhaps I will have done by the time La Partition comes out, but for today I'll have to be content to just pick one.
So grab your best buds, turn your shit up, and have a listen to "Buds" from 2011's Februus. Then join me in anticipating some new material from Uneven Structure.
Thursday: Gyre - I Release
Sisyphus here, coming to you live on location from behind this giant boulder that just won't go up this damn hill...
Yes, I'm still catching up from last weekend's lax performance, but I'm going to do it today, I swear, and I'm going to start with a belated Thursday post of some rather tasty metalcore. Even if you're one of those anti-metalcore types I'm always talking about, I still think you might find a thing or two to enjoy in this one.
"I Release", from the upcoming EP Moirai, is the latest from New York's Gyre, and while it'd be easy to just call it a metalcore song, it'd be doing these guys such a disservice. Sure, it's metalcorey, but it's got an edge of progginess, a vein of thrashy shreddiness, and a healthy share of catchy energy like you might find in, say, a Protest the Hero song.
Needless to say, this track goes (know what I mean, nudge nudge?) so metalcore aficionado or not, you should probably give this one a listen or two. Or three. It's really up to you.
Yes, I'm still catching up from last weekend's lax performance, but I'm going to do it today, I swear, and I'm going to start with a belated Thursday post of some rather tasty metalcore. Even if you're one of those anti-metalcore types I'm always talking about, I still think you might find a thing or two to enjoy in this one.
"I Release", from the upcoming EP Moirai, is the latest from New York's Gyre, and while it'd be easy to just call it a metalcore song, it'd be doing these guys such a disservice. Sure, it's metalcorey, but it's got an edge of progginess, a vein of thrashy shreddiness, and a healthy share of catchy energy like you might find in, say, a Protest the Hero song.
Needless to say, this track goes (know what I mean, nudge nudge?) so metalcore aficionado or not, you should probably give this one a listen or two. Or three. It's really up to you.
Friday, 27 March 2015
Wednesday: Pyramids - My Father, Tall as Goliath
I'm continuing the work of catching up this evening, starting with what I'll loosely call a Wacky Wednesday song, if only because I can't really think of a good, succinct way of describing the latest from Texas outfit Pyramids.
The recently-released A Northern Meadow is a dense cocktail of sound, mixing a lot of different flavours into something pretty unique. There's elements of drone, ambient and atmospheric stuff, sludgy post-metal, and more besides -- and that's all in the span of a single, not-necessarily-epic-length track.
Intrigued? Impressed, even? You should be, and after a listen to "My Father, Tall as Goliath", I think you will be. Give it a shot and let me know what you think.
The recently-released A Northern Meadow is a dense cocktail of sound, mixing a lot of different flavours into something pretty unique. There's elements of drone, ambient and atmospheric stuff, sludgy post-metal, and more besides -- and that's all in the span of a single, not-necessarily-epic-length track.
Intrigued? Impressed, even? You should be, and after a listen to "My Father, Tall as Goliath", I think you will be. Give it a shot and let me know what you think.
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